3 Reasons Why Your Drivers Should Slow Down

Many drivers speed because they think it is OK to do so and even more so recently where the roads have been quieter. The facts are:

  • Speeding Kills. Excessive speed for the situation contributes to an increase in collisions and costs you money

  • Speeding Costs. Higher speeds means more fuel used, more emissions and reduced air quality

  • Speeding isn’t quicker. Excessive speed doesn’t get the driver to the drop any quicker although it might feel that it does

Speeding and collisions 

The latest Department for Transport figures tell us that in 2018 there were over 17,000 reported road collisions across the UK with the main contributing factor being speed, whether exceeding the speed limit or traveling too fast for the conditions.

The faster a driver goes, the less time they have to react to a situation, so that an avoidable accident or collision becomes an actual one which in turn costs the business money and, the likelihood of a casualty rises.

The correlation between speed, fuel usage and reducing emissions

Generally, the faster you drive, the more fuel you use. If your HGV drivers don’t drive on their limiter and drive at 3 miles per hour less on a motorway this will save you money on your fuel bill and will reduce co2 emissions.

For example an achievable 9% saving on fuel could save £727 a year for an average van and a whopping £2,020 a year for an average HGV.

It’s simple maths to work out how much you save in the business, by encouraging drivers not to rush to their next drop and showing them how much they save. It’s always worth considering the introduction of a cash and MPG bonus scheme as this can be cheaper than paying for the extra fuel used.

The myth that driving faster gets you there quicker

Speeding makes no difference to journey time as it’s the average speed that most affects the whole journey time, the facts are:

  • Rushing for short distances barely affects the average speed as it’s then mostly a rush to the next stop

  • In urban areas, average speed is not improved by rushing, it just feels that way

It’s important to recognise what makes a driver want to speed. When educating your drivers of the risks and reminding them of the law, ask them to write down 5 reasons why they speed. By doing this it will make them think and can often bring up the long-held myths which then become good talking points.

Rushing generally makes anyone feel more stressed, especially when there is no benefit. The driver still arrives late and keeps pushing on to get the job done. There is then a knock-on effect, your drivers’ health suffers, your vehicle is pushed and tyre life is reduced by harsh acceleration and breaking.

Smooth, steady driving within speed limits leads to faster overall journey times. If the job cannot be done when driving at an appropriate speed, you are putting your drivers, your O Licence and your business at risk.

Driving faster than needed not only wastes fuel, it raises the chances of a collision which drains even more money from the business.

The Road Skills Online Professional Development Plan

We believe that regular driver training can help to improve drivers behaviour on the roads, helping you to say £££’s on your bottom line. One of the monthly Toolbox Talks in our Professional Development Plan is on the subject of speed awareness, it’s designed to:

  • Remind your drivers to stay within speed limits and to not see speed limits as targets

  • Help them to understand flow which reduces delays

  • Help them to reduce your costs

Let our online driver training deliver Toolbox Talks to your drivers with ease. To book your demo and free trial, just click below to get set up.

Reduce your risk and that of your drivers, keeping you all safe on the road and improving their skills.

Published | May 2020

Source | gov.uk