Road

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Safety tic
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Matters
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A practical guide
to safe driving
from Colas Rail.
Contents Accidents don’t just happen.
They always have a cause.

3 Introduction
95% of all on-road vehicle
incidents are caused partially

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4 Safe driving saves lives
6 The first 30 minutes of a
shift are critical or wholly by human error.
8 Driving while tired is deadly

Driving is the riskiest thing you

t
do on a daily basis. And from
time-to-time or as part of your

ac
daily role you may be asked
10
12
A van is not a car
Speed Kills
to drive a vehicle operated
by Colas Rail and we want

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14 Watch your back
16 Park it safe
you to be safe.
26 What to do if you d Whether it’s a car, van or lorry,
have an accident
28 Start your journey right this guide provides simple,
30 Whatever the weather
straightforward advice on how
o

18 Are you sitting comfortably you, your passengers and your
20 Belt up
vehicle can stay safe on the road.
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22 Park your phone

24 Driven to distraction

2 Road Safety Matters A practical guide to safe driving 3

Safe ...thats
driving why

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saves safety

t
ac
lives... matters
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o d The facts The sad fact is that nearly all of these
Last year on UK roads deaths and injuries are preventable.
Stay safe! • 1,713 people killed
Personal safety commitments • 21,657 people seriously injured Working, and driving safely is everyone’s
• I take accountability for the • 160,000 minor injuries responsibility. It’s about taking
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safety of myself and others • This equates to 5 deaths and 60 people responsibility, and doing the right thing,
• I always comply with the Life seriously injured per day even when no one else is around.
saving rules
• I will intervene in any situation Work Related Road Driving accounted for
Never use a hand-held or hands-free
if i believe a behaviour or 25%-40% of these: phone, or programme any other mobile
situation may be unsafe • 428-685 people killed device while driving.
• 5,414-8,663 people seriously injured
• 40,000-64,000 minor injuries Always
Always obeyobey thelimit
the speed speed
and limit and
wear a seat belt.
• This equates to 1-2 deaths and wear a seat belt.
15-24 seriously per day

4 Road Safety Matters A practical guide to safe driving 5

The
first 30
minutes

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of a shift
are

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critical

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Did you know a huge amount
of road accidents happen within
the first 30 minutes of a journey?
o d
You need to make sure that you’re
concentrated and switched on, the
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minute you get into your vehicle. If,

for instance, you’ve been out the
night before, had too little sleep or
missed breakfast and are not at
your best then ask yourself, can
you really be in charge of a car and
drive yourself and others safely?

Remember, it’s not just your

welfare that you’re responsible for.

6 Road Safety Matters A practical guide to safe driving 7

Driving
while
Z

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tired is
deadly Z

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Z

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Tired drivers cause one in five crashes And because these accidents happen at
on UK roads every year and many of speed, the driver has fallen asleep or has
them (40%)involve people who are
driving as part of their job.
o d
lost concentration, you are 50% more
likely to die or have a serious injury.

The safest thing to do is not to drive

at all if you are feeling tired. You can help
this by:
• Taking 15-minute breaks about every
Stay safe!
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two hours on the road

If you find you are suddenly • Tell your manager if anything at work or
fighting fatigue, then here are in your personal life is disrupting your
3 simple emergency tactics: sleep (e.g. stress, new baby etc.)
1. Find somewhere safe to stop • Share the driving wherever possible.
2. Take two strong caffeine drinks
3. Nap for about 15 minutes Remember, turning up the radio or
winding down the window won’t stop you
nodding off if you’re too tired to drive.

8 Road Safety Matters A practical guide to safe driving 9

 A van is
not a car

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In this country you do not need a Here are our top tips for staying safe when
special licence to drive a small or loading your vehicle:
medium-size-van, and yet vans are • Never place heavy loads near the rear
much more likely to rear end a car or doors unless there is other weight in the
have a collision while reversing. centre of the vehicle to balance the load
• Be careful when joining motorways as it
If you have to drive a van but have only is more difficult to see your blind spot
do
driven cars on the road before then make
sure you contact your manager and
request driver coaching before stepping
up in vehicle size and know the maximum
• Take extra care if the view from your
mirrors is obstructed
• Make sure hazardous equipment and
substances is safety stowed.
load your vehicle is allowed
The penalty for breaking the safe loading
regulations can result in you being fined
Stay safe!
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up to £5,000 for each offence!

The biggest factor in 50% of van
accidents is driving with an unsafe Remember, Colas Rail never expects
load so ensure yours is correctly anyone to break the law. and even if you
positioned and well secured. Loose are on the way to an emergency incident,
tools and equipment can cause you Colas vehicles never have any traffic
to lose control of the vehicle and dispensations and must always follow the
are proved to increase the risk and full Highway Code.
severity of injury.

10 Road Safety Matters A practical guide to safe driving 11

 Speed
Stay safe!
At higher speeds, there is less time
to identify and react to things, it
takes longer to stop and impacts
are much more serious.
The risk of death is four times higher

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when a pedestrian is hit at 40mph
than at 30mph.

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It’s a fact that drivers who ‘speed’

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• Always keep your speed down around Maximum speed limits for vans and LGVs
crash much more often than those
who don’t.
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schools, 20’s plenty when kids are
about – and may even be too fast
• Try no higher than 3rd gear in a
Built up
areas
Single
carriageways
Dual
carriageways
Motorways

Here are some simple and practical 30 mph limit

things to stay within the speed limit: Car-derived vans 30mph 60mph 70mph 70mph
• Recognise what makes you speed -
• Check your speedo often, especially keeping up with traffic, overtaking or Small vans towing trailers 30mph 50mph 60mph 60mph
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when leaving high speed roads being tailgated

• Always match your speed to the type of • Concentrate – distracted drivers speed Vans over 2.0t 30mph 50mph 60mph 70mph
road you are on and the road conditions maximum weight up to 7.5t
• Slow down when entering villages and
• Count a 2 second gap between you urban areas. Parked vehicles can often As above, towing trailer 30mph 50mph 60mph 60mph
and the vehicle in front of you. Double if conceal pedestrians about to cross the
conditions are wet/icy road, so cut your speed Goods vehicles over 7.5t 30mph 40mph 50mph 60mph
• Assume lamp posts mean 30mph, • Give yourself time – there’s no need to
unless signs say otherwise speed and you won’t get there quicker

12 Road Safety Matters A practical guide to safe driving 13

 TC H
WAUR
YO CK

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BA T O
HO W
AVOID ND

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TAIL-E S

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S HU NT

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Many of CO
LAS Rail’s ac
are caused cidents
by vehicles
into one an shunting
other. Even
Be safe!
Stay safe! d ones can ca
u
minor
take a mom se personal injury so
en
Vans
Vans are
are disproportionally
disproportionally and make su t to read these tips
more
more frequently
frequentlyinvolved
involvedinin re you’re no
receiving en t on the
rear
rear ending
ending aa car.
car. d!
(SWOV fact sheet 2010)
o
• Don’t lose
your cool! If
is tail-gating somebody
you, let them
when it is sa overtake
fe to do so
• Always leav
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e enough sp
front so you ace
can stop safe in
somebody b ly
rakes hard in if
you (remem front of
ber the 2 se
• Drop back cond gap!)
so you can sp
hazards earli ot
er
• Hang bac
k at roundab
remember to outs,
use defensive
tactics to av
oid accidents driving

14 Road Safety Matters A practical guide to safe driving 15

 A huge number of accidents are Here are some things to keep in mind
caused by poor parking or low-speed when parking and reversing:
manoeuvring incidents like reverse • Park legally! Remember that parking
parking and 3-point turns. tickets are the driver’s responsibility
• Take care at tight access points
All vehicles suffer from blind spots, • Help each other to reverse (work as
especially vans and lorries. So always a team)
be aware that there is less visibility in a • Slow down at access points

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van than a car and adjust your driving • Park at a sensible distance from other
accordingly. vehicles and avoid creating an obstacle
to others
Whenever it’s practical to do so, reverse • Always use your side mirrors when
parking will cut down the chances of you reversing
damaging the vehicle as you leave the • If possible always ask your colleague to
parking space. get out of the vehicle to guide you
• When reversing always reverse park in

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It’s also safer to drive forward out of a depots and office car parks - this makes
space as visibility is greater. it easier to see pedestrians when you

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are leaving a space.

Stay safe!
Always try to avoid parking in

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narrow roads, opposite driveways,
entrances and junctions or too
close to other vehicles.

d
Park
o
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it safe!
16 Road Safety Matters A practical guide to safe driving 17
 Stay safe!
The top of the head restraint should
be level with the top of your head and
no lower than 2 inches below – the
minimum is just above the ears.
It should be no more than 2 inches

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away from the back of your head.

Are you

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To Low

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sitting

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comfortably? d Too far back

Over 250,000 accidents per year lead to Follow these guidelines every time you
whiplash injuries – 2,000 of these result get into your vehicle – for best protection
in permanent disabilities. the head restraint should be:
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• Touching the back of your head,
If the accident is at low speed, many of or as close as possible to it
the injuries could be avoided if drivers
• At least as high as the top of your
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adjust their head restraints properly.

ears, and ideally as high as the top
of your head
Correct

18 Road Safety Matters A practical guide to safe driving 19

 Stay safe!
Vans drivers sit higher than in cars
so, in the event of an impact there’s
a greater chance of them being
thrown through the windscreen.

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BELT UP
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Drivers and their passengers who fail

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Top tips for seat belt sense:
to wear seatbelts in the front and back
of vehicles are breaking the law.
We all know this.
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• The belt should be worn as tight as
possible, with no slack
• The lap belt should go over the pelvic
region, not the stomach
What you may not know is that in a
crash, you are twice as likely to die if • The diagonal strap should rest over
you don’t wear a seatbelt. the shoulder, not the neck
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• Nothing should obstruct the smooth

It just doesn’t make sense not to. movement of the belt by trapping it
• Passengers need to belt up too; if
they don’t, refuse to move off. It’s your
responsibility to ensure they follow
the rules.
• Don’t be tempted to remove your
seatbelt if you are a passenger trying
to have a nap. This puts you and others
in danger.

20 Road Safety Matters A practical guide to safe driving 21

 Park your
phone before
you drive

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t
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You are 4 times more likely to have Colas Rail have banned the use of hands
an accident if you use a mobile while free phones as they are proved to distract
driving, that is why using a hand-held almost as much as hand held phones,
mobile phone in a vehicle is completely due to the type of conversations we are

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banned in the UK. This applies even likely to have whilst working.
if you’re stopped at traffic lights or
queuing in traffic. Handy hints on mobiles and cars:
• If you do need to make a call, park
You can only use a handheld phone if you
safely before using your mobile phone.
need to call 999 or 112 in an emergency
Do not park on the hard shoulder of the
and it’s unsafe or impractical to stop, or
motorway.
do
you are safely parked.

If you are safely parked you should

always take the keys out of the ignition
• Don’t call other people when they’re
driving
• Ask to check that they are not driving,
and put them on the dashboard in plain ask them to call you back when they
view in case of a police check. have parked up safely.
• If you do need to take a call on your
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hands-free kit, tell the caller you’re

driving and suggest leaving a voicemail
on your phone to let people know you

Stay safe!
So the best thing you can do to
keep you and your passengers safe
is switch off before you drive off.

22 Road Safety Matters A practical guide to safe driving 23

 Driven to
distraction

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Driving is one of the most complicated Here are some simple steps to avoid
and risky things many of us do on becoming distracted:

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a regular basis. It needs our full • Make sure that you are ready to drive
concentration, and both our hands, before setting off. If your not in the right
to drive safely. frame of mind, wait till you are
• Recognise what makes you distracted
Driver distraction causes between 20-30%
in the first place and avoid it
of all road accidents yearly which means
simply that anything that takes your eyes • Before doing something other than
do
or mind off the road or your hands off
the wheel, significantly increases your
chances of being involved in a crash
driving, ask “will this be distracting”
• Think how you would feel if you saw
another driver doing the same thing
• Can you plan any possible distractions
out of your journey before you start –
like setting up the stereo, knowing your
route, eating or doing your make up!
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Stay safe!
If things get a bit too rowdy in the
van, if you use a mobile, eat or
fiddle with a stereo, this is when
accidents can happen as the driver
- you are in control of these things.

24 Road Safety Matters A practical guide to safe driving 25

 What to
do if you

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have an
accident

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Here are the simple steps you should 3. Take photo images of the scene, the
take if you are involved in an accident damage to all vehicles and take a note of
all independent witnesses
1. Always take the names and registration
of the vehicles involved, the number 4. Even if there is minor damage,
d and details of the people in the vehicle –
sometimes when there appears to be little
or no damage, claims come along and we
always contact the police and report the
accident at the time, getting details of
who you report it to
have no evidence, so this is important
o
5. If telematics or any technology are
2. Always exchange details of the insurer fitted to the vehicle, make sure the
and report the claim immediately people you report it to are aware
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Any incidents or accidents that do Need to add some emergency phone

occur while driving at work will always contact numbers here:
be investigated in line with Fair Culture Lex, Axa, control, fleet
principles in an open and transparent
manner as signed up to by all 3 Trade Please supply.
Unions and Colas Rail.

26 Road Safety Matters A practical guide to safe driving 27

Start your
journey

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right

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Before starting any journey you
can use a simple checklist to avoid
suffering any mechanical faults and
Stay safe!
improve your fuel efficiency. It’s YOUR responsibility to make
sure your vehicle is safe and legal
At Colas we advise you use the
POWDER checklist every time you get
into your vehicle:
o d
before you hop into the driver’s seat
and make sure you keep your log
book up to date!

P Petrol/diesel – check type of fuel

and gauge
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O Oil – check level

W Water – check coolant and
windscreen washer
D Damage – report immediately
E Electrics – check lights and
warning lights
R Rubber – keep tyres inflated
according to load and check tread

28 Road Safety Matters A practical guide to safe driving 29

 Different weather conditions create Summer Driving
different challenges when we are • On long journeys, drink plenty of fluids
driving. • Reduce speed if the sun is directly
in front of you and reducing forward
A single journey may take us into vision
very different weather, road and traffic • Be aware on minor roads, of increased
conditions, so we need to be prepared agricultural traffic
for each one. • Ensure passage of fresh air through the

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vehicle cab and open the windows
The following tips will help you cope • Be aware that excess heat can induce
better with the differen seasons and their drowsiness
weather hazards.
Winter Aids
Before you hit the road… Put a few things in the boot in case you
• Make sure the screen wash contains get stuck somewhere:
sufficient water and winter additive • A fully charged mobile phone

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• Check that all the lights are clean and • Warm clothing, waterproof boots and
clear and in full working order a blanket

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• Ensure that front and rear screens are • A hi-vis jacket close to hand
clear, inside and out • A torch with fresh batteries
• Know the route you’re driving • Pieces of old carpet to aid traction
• Avoid driving in bad weather. Check • Cans of high-energy drinks
weather reports and never embark on • Long-life high-energy bars
a journey if there’s a weather warning. • A spade or shovel
Ask your line manager for advice

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• Use only Colas Rail-approved containers
for the carriage of petrol in vehicles

And remember braking distances can

be 10 times as long in adverse conditions.
Keep your distance and adjust your speed

Whatever
according to conditions rather than to the
do
speed limit.

Stay safe!
If you start to skid, come off the

the
brakes or accelerator, turn into the
skid and look in the direction you
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want to go.

weather
30 Road Safety Matters A practical guide to safe driving 31
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Find out more

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Colas Rail
Dacre House
19 Dacre Street
London
SW1H 0DJ.

www.colasrail.co.uk

Safety isn’t a slogan

its a behaviour
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