Nigel Grainger brings together a related set of skills that all fleets require, to greater or lesser
degrees, but which may not have the staffing or the skills to fulfil those needs.
Bringing his wealth of experience in all areas of fleet management he offers a bespoke service through his company Fleet Risk Consultants, providing you with a cost effective fleet that complies fully with your 'duty of care' requirements.Not all idiots are stupid people
What makes a perfectly sane and intelligent person think that they can defy the laws of Physics?
I am talking about the belief that some people have that in an impact they will be able sit in their seat without moving. Here in the UK it is illegal to travel in a vehicle without wearing a seat belt, if one is fitted in the vehicle. This includes lorries, which do have seat belts fitted now.
I observed an Aston Martin DB9 in a car park today, now this type of vehicle is not usually owned by stupid people as the expense of such a vehicle usually requires a well paid job, but I have never seen someone fasten their seat belt into the fixing as they exit their vehicle, so I have assume it was fastened behind the driver to disable the warning alarm which said ‘You have not fastened your seatbelt, idiot’. Mind you he left his briefcase on the passenger seat too, so perhaps he was an idiot.
I have met lorry drivers who wear their seat belts in their cars, but then don’t wear the seat belt in the lorry. Now I fail to see the logic in that situation, do they really think that the laws of Physics don’t apply in a truck?
What drivers who choose not to wear a seat belt fail to appreciate is the law of attraction between their head and the windscreen. In a collision the driver will be propelled forwards with a huge force and you will impact on something hard that will hurt.
The video produced by the Department for Transport call ‘Backwards’ says it all.
As a collision investigator I have seen the aftermath of collisions and those where the occupants have not been wearing their seat belts are horrific.
It may also have an effect on any injury compensation that you may be entitled to if you are not to blame for the collision. This article by Chris Lodge explains it in more detail.
Also if you have employees driving on behalf of your business you had better have a policy statement that tells drivers they must wear seat belts and ensure passengers are properly secured, and you had better enforce that policy or you may face an investigation under Corporate Manslaughter Legislation.
Nigel Grainger
Senior Consultant
Fleet Risk Consultants