Drive to the Conditions Not the Speed Limit
Excess speed is one of the biggest causes of death and injury on the road. For hauliers, driving at safe speeds will help reduce the number of incidents, not only reducing the human cost but also the financial cost.
Speed kills: according to RoSPA more than 200 people lost their lives and nearly 1400 were seriously injured in 2020 in collisions where someone was exceeding the speed limit. The police found that people either going over the speed limit or travelling too fast for the conditions, contributed to over a quarter (27%) of fatal collisions in 2020.
For hauliers, given the size and weight of the vehicles being driven, accidents involving excess speed can be catastrophic. Driving within the speed limit will help to reduce the likelihood of such collisions, but it’s often the case that a driver involved in an incident is not exceeding the speed limit but is simply going too fast for the road conditions.
Respect the Conditions If a driver is in a 30mph or a 50mph limit, that shouldn’t be seen as a green light to match those speed limits if the conditions don’t allow, particularly given the effect those conditions can have on braking distances. The most common haulier insurance claims dealt with by Aon involve trucks hitting other vehicles in the rear, and while that will often be down to a loss of attention by drivers, speeding is regularly a contributory factor. The problem of course is many drivers, under constant pressure to meet their schedules, can be frustrated by traffic, roadworks, or other delays which means speeding is often seen as a necessity to keeping on time. But there are other factors involved too such as over familiarity with a regularly driven route; a driver’s over confidence in their own driving ability; or the behaviour of another driver.
Adapt Your Driving For hauliers and their drivers, reducing speed can help reduce incidents, saving lives and injuries, as well as cutting costs related to insurance claims. The Highway Code is explicit about the need to, “Adapt your driving to the appropriate type and condition of road you are on.” It advises:
● Do not treat speed limits as a target ● Take road and traffic conditions into account. ● At junctions, be prepared for road users emerging ● In side roads and country lanes look out for unmarked junctions where nobody has priority ● Be prepared to stop at traffic control systems, road works, pedestrian crossings or traffic lights ● Try to anticipate what pedestrians and cyclists might do.
Make Use of Technology Hauliers can also look at other ways of reducing speed related incidents such as the use of technology – telematics, cameras and vehicle inspection software for example – which help monitor speed, driving styles, as well as making sure that vehicles are in a roadworthy condition. Investing in driver education and training courses is also valuable and will maintain a focus on safe speeds while driving. And, providing regular feedback for drivers to celebrate safe driving as well as highlighting any problems can be very helpful. Most importantly though, it’s back to the message that drivers should drive to the conditions they face and see a speed limit as a limit, not as a target. For more details on road safety and driving at appropriate speeds, go to QBE’s ‘Road safety and inappropriate speed’.
To discuss any of the issues raised in this article, please contact the Hauliers Team on 03301 624 992.
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