Road Safety Tips for Couriers and Delivery Drivers
Whether you are the owner of a haulage company, or work as a driver for one, road safety must always be observed. This is of particular concern for drivers that offer a service that requires them to operate during nighttime and sometimes against the clock. If you deliver fast food as a night job, tiredness can lead to accidents. Taking precautions will help mitigate your chances of being in a road accident. Should you have an accident, make sure you are covered with the correct level courier insurance, a specialised insurance for the courier service sector.
Regular vehicle maintenance
As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention better than of pound of cure. There is nowhere this is more true than in the transport industry. Regularly scheduled vehicle check-ups, along with maintenance, might sometimes seem at times tedious, but one should not take the safety of themselves and other motorists lightly. As they go about their delivery work, drivers should be confident that their vehicle is in the very best condition possible.
Perform a regular check to ensure that your brakes, tyres, wheel bearings, and steering, should all be in proper working condition. By adding a regular maintenance into your work schedule, you are taking positive steps to lower your risk of filing a claim against your insurance company. The ultimate benefit of regular maintenance is it will help ensure the safety of you and your cargo.
Is it illegal to use your smartphone whilst driving?
It is not illegal to use a smartphone when driving, as long as it is hands free. The best solution is to buy a cradle for your mobile phone, removing any temptation to hold it in your hand. This will allow you to legally use the smartphone sat nav without being too distracted.
Be prepared in case of accidents
It’s true that sometimes, that no amount of preparatory measures will ensure that you have a 100%, accident-free operation. Perhaps, even though you have observed all the precautionary measures possible, you are still not able to control how other drivers are going to act.
Should it happen that you are involved in an accident while doing your delivery work, you would do well to know certain emergency procedures such as treating minor injuries, how to prevent the situation from worsening, and getting the proper in the shortest time possible. Remember to contact your courier insurance company, regardless of how minor the accident.
Stay alert and take regular breaks
Many road accidents occur as a result of the most seemingly minor or insignificant reasons. One of the primary reasons for accidents is that a driver is overly fatigued. This however is far from an insignificant issue. As far as road safety goes, one of the top priorities is that the driver must be able to manoeuvre the vehicle effectively, especially at night. It is of the utmost importance, that drivers are well-rested prior to setting out on a long journey. Remember, even an urgent delivery is not as important as a delivery driver acting responsively and driving safely on the road.
Recent survey shows many drivers nearly fall asleep
A government survey showed that at 27% of drivers admitted shorting periods of drowsiness and have nodded off or fallen asleep at some time whilst driving. So While the temptation may be there to work longer hours, you need to sleep at least six to eight hours a night. Regardless of what the company may say they need you to do, you must sleep and take other rest stops as recommend, or even mandated by law.
Get out of trouble kit
As a delivery driver, it’s always best to have some essentials with you at all times. Consider making a small bag of these, or put them in the vehicle permanently. These could include a first aid kit, radio, map, a roll of world-famous duct tape, a log book, scissors, a calculator, a few wrenches and screwdrivers, and a set of jumper cables.