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SOUTH WEST

THE ROAD SAFETY PARTNERHSIP WORKING HARD TO REDUCE FATAL & SERIOUS COLLISIONS IN DEVON & CORNWALL

What the figures say

Driving is the most dangerous work activity that most people do, according to RoSPA. It contributes to far more accidental deaths and serious injuries than all other work-related activities. Very few organisations can operate without using the road. Millions of vehicles – lorries, vans, taxis, buses, emergency service vehicles, company cars, motorcycles, bicycles – are used for work purposes, and many people work on foot on the road (maintenance workers, refuse collectors, postal workers, vehicle breakdown employees, the police and so on).

Unfortunately, this means that all these workers face risks on the road because they are doing their jobs. They can also create risks for everyone else on the road.
The HSE estimates that “more than a quarter of all road traffic incidents may involve somebody who is driving as part of their work at the time.”

Police road accident data shows that every year over 500 people are killed (almost one third of all road deaths), 5,000 seriously injured and more than 40,000 slightly injured in collisions involving drivers or riders who are driving for work. This includes other road users, as well as at-work drivers and riders themselves. In fact, 70% of those killed in a work-related journey are passengers, pedestrians and riders rather than the at-work drivers and riders.

useful FAQs

The Van Driver Toolkit

Working with the National Highways Commercial Vehicle Incident Prevention Team, we have produced a series of driver information online modules to assist van drivers and fleet operators in dispelling uncertainty and myth. You can share the whole toolkit with your drivers, or you may prefer to share individual modules whenever you want to check understanding of best practice, or reinforce your driving for work policies.

The toolkit will help you implement best practice for what is required to reduce costs, improve operating conditions and ensure safe and legal vehicles and wellbeing for your drivers.

All resources are available in Email PDF, Print PDF & Responsive Webpage https://vandrivertoolkit.co.uk/formats

Employees’ Responsibilities Employees must co-operate with their employer’s health and safety procedures and follow their rules and policies when using their own vehicle for work. They must play their part, by ensuring that they are properly licensed and insured to drive for work, fit to drive, plan their journeys safely and comply with road traffic laws when driving.

They need to understand, and follow, the organisation’s driving for work policies and procedures. They also need to accept that if they drive their own vehicle for work, their employer has the same legal duty to ensure it is safe and legal as they have for company vehicles. They must also make sure their motor insurance policy includes business use cover, and they have told their insurers that they use the vehicle for work, and how they do so.

You can find more information here: https://www.rospa.com/rospaweb/docs/advice-services/road-safety/employers/work-own-vehicles.pdf

Cars, Goods vehicles (<3,500kg), Trailers and caravans (<3,500kg)

At least 1.6mm throughout a continuous band in the centre 3/4 of the tread and around the entire circumference of the tyre.

Most larger vehicles

At least 1.0mm throughout a continuous band across at least 3/4 of the breadth of the tread and around the entire circumference. The original tread pattern must be visible in the remaining quarter.

Motorcycles 50cc and over

At least 1.0mm throughout a continuous band across at least 3/4 of the breadth of the tread and around the entire circumference. The original tread pattern must be visible in the remaining quarter.

Mopeds and motorcycles under 50cc

The original tread pattern must be visible.

Current UK law states that tyre tread on cars must be at a minimum of 1.6mm across the central three quarters of the tread, around its entire circumference. This can easily checked with the use of a 20p coin.

A quick and easy way to see if your car/van tyre tread exceed the minimum legal tread depth is to take the 20p test

Simply place a 20p coin into the main tread grooves of your tyre. If the outer band of the 20p coin is obscured when it is inserted, then your tread is above the legal limit. If the outer band of the coin is visible, then your tyres may be illegal and unsafe and should be checked immediately by a qualified tyre professional.

When taking the test, remember to check at least three locations around each tyre. As the test is so quick and easy, stay safe by checking your tyres at least once a month.

One key reason why tyres for electric vehicles are typically different to those of a petrol or diesel car is weight. At present, battery packs are extremely heavy, even more so than traditional engines, making EVs overall heavier than a petrol or diesel engine model.

That weight is ultimately carried by the tyres. Without adaptation to compensate for this weight, the tyres would be susceptible to premature wearing, much more quickly than an owner is used to, making replacement far more frequent. As a result, EV tyres are constructed to carry the higher loadings, are reinforced and may carry the HL loading markings.

You can find more useful information about electric vehicle tyres here: https://www.tyresafe.org/tyres-for-electric-vehicles/

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