driver s handbook information

Transcription

1 driver s handbook information Over-type Name of Your Business

2 Contents Foreword A. Driver Responsibilities Manufacturers Handbook Driving Licences Eyesight Testing Permission to Drive Statutory Regulations Passengers Child Car Seats & Restraints Private Use and Business Use Personal Car Management Weekly Vehicle Checks Vehicle Security Night Parking Audio Equipment Radios and Data Heads Vehicle Key Security Return / handover of vehicle Insurance Policy and Cover Penalty / Incentive Schemes Motoring/Parking Offences B. Accidents Reporting Accidents and Managing Costs Other Important Accident Information C. Safe Systems of Work Health & Safety Risk Assessments Manual Handling Smoking Policy Alcohol & Drugs Mobile Phones Managing Driver Fatigue D. Code of Good Driver Conduct

3 Foreword The Company vehicle allocated to you represents a substantial investment by the Company in you and your job. In entrusting this asset to your safekeeping you have the responsibility to drive safely and to look after your vehicle as if it were your own. You are expected to maintain the vehicle in a first class condition at all times. If it is kept in good order it will be a good advertisement not only for you but also for the Company. This handbook details the Company s requirements on the use, servicing, running and many other aspects of Company vehicle operation. Please read it carefully and make sure you understand the contents fully. If you have any questions please contact the Manager / Proprietor in the first instance. The Company has the right to vary any of the procedures and/or rules at any time. Any variation(s) will be notified to you by circular and by means of amended pages in this handbook. A. Driver Responsibilities Manufacturers Handbook The Manufacturers handbook as supplied with the vehicle should be read carefully even if you have driven a similar model before. Modifications are often introduced which may need slightly different operative procedures. The handbook should be kept in the vehicle at all times as a point of reference, for technical data; (e.g. tyre pressures) or in the event of an emergency. Driving Licences You and only authorised persons permitted to drive vehicles must hold a full current and valid driving licence, which must be made available for examination when required by the owner, local authority/vosa/police. You must report any event, (e.g. endorsements or convictions), which could invalidate your driving licence. All endorsements should be reported for insurance purposes, including any pending endorsements/convictions. It s your responsibility to renew your licence and it should be carried at all times. The company will make periodic physical checks of the photo card and paper copy which is part of our risk assessment responsibilities with our insurers. Photo Card Expiry Drivers could face 1,000 fines as photo card driving licences expire because they are unwittingly driving without a valid licence. The risk of prosecution involves the small print on the photo card - it automatically expires after 10 years and has to be renewed. Make sure your photo card licence is valid. Driving Offences Reduced Period of Grace If you receive a driving offence penalty, you now only have 28 days to surrender your licence for the endorsement to be added (it used to be 12 months). If a driver fails to do this, the law allows the DVLA to revoke your licence - which means without a licence you won t be allowed to drive any vehicle. Towing a trailer The category entitlement on your driving licence will determine the type of trailer you can tow. Drivers who passed a car test before 1 January 1997, retain entitlement to tow up to 8.25t MAM. Drivers who passed a car test on or after 1 January 1997 are required to pass an additional driving test to gain entitlements B + E. Eyesight Testing It is a known fact that eyesight can deteriorate as we grow older. The Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) has found that around 13 million motorists on Britain s roads do not get their site tested regularly and a third of people thought they didn t need glasses failed an eye test. Every individual s eyesight performance is different and should be checked on a regular basis as loss of vision can creep up on drivers and gradual deterioration may be unnoticed. Police officers have the power to conduct random roadside checks. Driving with defective vision has a maximum fine of up to 1000, three penalty points and possible disqualification. Under new rules introduced in February 2013 the Police will be able to take immediate action against motorists fail roadside eye tests. The new system means that the Police will be able to notify the DVLA electronically with details of eyesight test failures and a notice of revocation of the license will be issued to the motorist within hours. This would have obvious and serious ramifications for businesses such as ours. Drivers should notify the Company immediately of any revocations or pending actions in relation to eyesight testing and their inability to drive. The Company may check the eyesight of drivers as part of regular checks. To be legally fit to drive an unfamiliar new style number plate (i.e. DE55FGH) from a distance of 20 metres (66 feet ) needs to be correctly read.

4 Permission to Drive You are responsible for the vehicle and for confirming with and carrying out the instructions explained in this handbook. You are also responsible for ensuring that no unauthorised person drives the vehicle whilst it is in your care. Learner drivers are never allowed to drive Company vehicles. If an unauthorised person drives your vehicle, neither the vehicle nor the driver, is covered by the Company Motor Insurance. You should note that any person driving an uninsured vehicle is liable to police prosecution, as well as for any damage caused in the event of an accident. Statutory Regulations You should be thoroughly conversant with the Highway Code and current laws and regulations, including the Health and Safety at Work Act, which govern the operation of cars, and you should comply with these in all respects. You are strongly advised to familiarise yourself with the Road Traffic Act 1988 and amendments, with particular reference to the provisions on drinking and driving which could result in imprisonment, or that you lose the use of a Company car for some time, and/or pay a heavy fine and insurance charge when your licence is restored. All incidents, which may result in a prosecution under the Road Traffic Act, must be reported to the Company. Passengers At no time must the seating capacity of the vehicle be exceeded. Passengers must occupy a factory fitted seat and for their safety should be requested to wear the seatbelt. Drivers must ensure that any luggage, wheelchairs or other loose items are properly secured to prevent any movement when travelling. There are three exemptions, where a child in this category does not have to use a child restraint. In each case the child MUST use the adult belt instead. They are: 1) in a licensed taxi or private hire vehicle; 2) if the child is travelling on a short distance for reason of unexpected necessity; 3) if there are two occupied child restraints in the rear which prevent the fitment of a third. It is the driver s legal responsibility to ensure that the child is correctly restrained. Private Use The vehicle must only be used for normal road travel. The vehicle must not be used for racing, pace making, trials, hill climbing, sprinting or in any competition. We do not allow driving tuition in Company vehicles Business Use Only employees of the Company or authorised individuals are allowed to use the vehicle for business purposes. All drivers must hold a valid driving licence and where applicable a local authority licence. Personal Car Management It is your responsibility to ensure that the vehicle allocated to you is kept in good working order at all times. It will be liable to spot checks periodically by the management. The following sections detail the main elements of your responsibilities in the management of the vehicle. Child Car Seats From the 18th September 2006 new regulations came into force concerning the use of child car seats. The rules require all children who are passengers in motor vehicles to use an appropriate child restraint. Child Restraints Legal Requirements Children up to 3 years old In a licensed taxi or licensed hire car, if a child restraint is not available then the child may travel unrestrained in the rear. This is the only exemption, and has been introduced for practical rather than safety reasons. You should always think about ways to make sure that a child seat is available. Children over 3 and either up to 1.35 metres tall OR up to age 12

5 Weekly Vehicle Checks For your own safety and ensure that the best reliability is obtained from your Company vehicle, get into the habit of making the following checks detailed below. Check and correct the tyre pressure and tread wear including the spare wheel. Keep to the pressures recommended in the maker s handbook. It is an offence to have defective tyres. Check the engine oil level weekly and/or before setting out on a long journey. Check the battery. Keep terminals clean and ensure that all connections are secure. Check the radiator water anti freeze mixture level weekly and/or before setting out on a long journey Top up the windscreen washer reservoir at least once a week. Check the action of the windscreen wipers and the condition of the wiper blades at the same time. It is an offence if your windscreen washer is inoperative for any reason. Check the clutch fluid and brake fluid reservoirs (where fitted) Vehicle Security New vehicles will have a good level of engine immobilisation fitted as standard. It is becoming very difficult for thieves to hot wire a vehicle. This has led to a rise in theft of keys from house burglaries, hook and cane key theft through letterboxes and car jacking. You should be careful where you keep your keys at home. It is common for keys to be left in hallways where they can be easily fished through the letterbox. In the unlikely event that a person forces you to hand over the keys to your car do not resist. You are more important than the vehicle. Phone the police and try to give a clear description of the thief. Night Parking You should take all sensible precautions regarding parking. At night, garage the vehicle if possible; do not leave property in the vehicle overnight, always lock it when there is no one in the vehicle (even at fuel service stations). Do not park in the more vulnerable positions in car parks. Audio Equipment, Radios and Data heads If the equipment is demountable always ensure this is removed and stored safely and securely when the vehicle is unattended. Where demountable equipment is stolen the driver will normally be charged the replacement cost. Vehicle Key Security Drivers should be alerted to the increased number of thefts from private houses, where the prime object is to steal vehicle keys and subsequently the vehicle when parked on the driveway, in the road or even from the garage. No one can guarantee that your vehicle will not be stolen but you can take simple steps to protect the vehicle. Vehicle keys should be kept in secure position at all times and not left within easy reach. Never leave to keys in an obvious place, be vigilant at all times and remain Key Aware. So whether you are out and about or just at home, you need to keep your keys safe and out of sight. Remember if they can find your keys they can steal your vehicle. It s that easy! Return/Hand Over of Vehicle When returning your vehicle you must ensure that it is clean inside and out, serviced up to date and has no significant damage. Any damage or servicing requirements to the vehicle must be reported to the Manager / Proprietor The cost in rectifying burns, tears, heavily stained areas or excessive wear inside of the vehicle and luggage area may be charged to the driver. The cost of rectifying body damage, which would not normally be repaired under the terms of the insurance policy, may be charged to the driver. This area is important for those that double man/ shift vehicles and to avoid potential disagreements between drivers the creation of a handover checklist may be of benefit. Insurance Policy and Cover The insurance will be invalidated if the car is driven by a person who is not authorised or not qualified to drive the vehicle. The car has defective tyres or it is not in a roadworthy condition. The insurers will deal with all claims made by third parties, but under no circumstances are you to admit any liability or to make any arrangements for payment to or by a third party. In the event of an accident any accounts, any third party communications, notice of intended prosecution or summons arising from the accident must be passed to the company, unanswered, immediately. Our Insurers have the sole right to conduct any correspondence with the third parties of their representatives. They will deal with any legal proceedings arising out of an accident and, if appropriate, may undertake your defence in any prosecution or represent you at any inquest. Your personal belongings are not insured against loss or theft.

6 Penalty/Incentive Schemes It is common with many fleets for schemes operate to encourage good driving whilst trying reduce the impact of poor driving and the cost of consequent insurance claims. Experience from insurers shows that a good well publicised scheme often leads to a reduction in the accidents arising from driver carelessness or neglect. Successful schemes often require all drivers to contribute all or part of the insurance excess. This might be on some form of sliding scale dependent on blame. Where relevant details of our scheme will be included as a separate document to be read alongside this handbook. Motoring/Parking Offences Any traffic offence, endorsements, imposition of penalty points etc. must be reported to the company who will review the insurance implications. Failure to notify the company may well invalidate our insurance. You are personally responsible for any fines resulting in the above. If you are convicted of a driving offence and consequently lose your driving licence it may mean your suspension and subsequent loss of employment, or redeployment to another appointment within the Company at the Company s discretion. Company drivers are required to pay any fixed penalty, such as for a parking offence, within the prescribed time; if you fail to do so the Company is held accountable. In addition, any such charges will be deducted from your salary together with an administration charge; this administration charge will be reviewed annually. Any charge from the leasing company will be similarly deducted from your salary. You are reminded that administration charges can be avoided by prompt payment of fixed penalties, as required by law.

7 B. Accidents Reporting and Managing Costs To comply with the requirements of our Motor Insurance Policy and to help our fleet manage accident costs it is essential that you IMMEDIATELY report by telephone any collision to the 24 hour claims incident helpline. Aviva Incident Care Line Refer to and use the Accident Crash Cards Supplied We have a simple principle called SAVE for accidents which helps our fleet to manage costs. This includes potential reductions in our excess which is very important. Speed Reporting the incident within 1 hour if safe to do so Accurate Obtain third parties contact details including witnesses. Validate mobile numbers by texting Vigilance Evidence Report any suspicious activity to the insurers and the Police Gather as much information as possible e.g. other passengers, vehicle positions. Use smart phones to take pictures, vehicle positions, passengers, fixed CCTV on buildings. A few minutes more at the scene can make a massive difference to the final cost of claims! Follow our company policy. Failure to follow any further instructions on accidents could lead to disciplinary action. Police Involvement Report any incidents involving injury to the Police. This is a legal requirement. Also remember that if you fail to stop after an accident or fail to report to the other party or to the police you may be prosecuted. If the vehicle is undriveable follow the instructions of the insurers. Third Party Insurance Checker Three simple steps to check insurance details after an accident at the roadside: Visit from your smart mobile device. Enter: - Your address, Your vehicle s registration number, The third party vehicle s registration number Receive confirmation of insurer and contact details (on screen and to your address) Keep Calm - remember the SAVE principles you have just read. Once reported the insurers will start working on the claim. This will include prompt contact with third parties using the information given to them as well as helping with your recovery, alternative transport and repairs. It is vitally important to immediately report even if our office is closed. Waiting until Monday morning can potentially cost thousands more if our drivers are at fault and collide with the wrong type of car or one with lots of passengers. Other Important Accident Information Who is to Blame? Never admit liability at the scene but DO ensure you tell the insurers exactly what happened. Many weeks can be wasted for smaller claims, with escalating costs, when stories change in light of further evidence down the line. Remember our insurers are on our side. If you are at fault (or likely fault) the insurers will do everything they can to keep the costs down so please give an accurate account when reporting the incidents.

8 C. Safe Systems of Work Health and Safety Drivers at work are expected to make themselves familiar with policies on company driving at work and ensure that they practice safe methods of driving at all times. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 every driver has a duty to ensure the health, safety and welfare of themselves and others whilst at work. This means that you are duty bound under the law to ensure that you work safely and must not knowingly do anything which may put others at risk. Risk Assessments An important part of the Health and Safety processes are assessments made in respect of regulations relating to manual handling, equipment used under LOLER and driving. The aim is to ensure the provision of a safe environment for all passengers and staff whilst gaining access to and from the vehicle and being transported. The purpose is to help us to determine what measures should be taken to comply with the duties of employers and self employed persons. Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 regulation 3 states the regulation requires all employees and self employed people to assess risks to colleagues and any others who may be affected by their work or business. Areas for risk assessment - when planning routes the following need to be addressed: - Clients need; Mobility/wheelchair; Length of journey; Frequency of journey and Communication between parties. Physical hazards - the following key factors should be considered: - Distance, weather impact (seasons), road works, accessibility, traffic congestion, unload/loading, manual handling, use of equipment. Risk assessments, as necessary, will undertaken by a competent person. Drivers should take care when handling luggage to minimise the risk of injury to themselves. You should ensure you are familiar with and abide by all policies on manual handling. Smoking Policy It is legislation that all workplaces are smoke-free and all workers have a right to work in a smoke-free environment. The vehicle has been a place of work since The Smoking in Public Ban came into effect on 1st July This requires vehicles to be smoke free at all times if they are used to transport members of the public. Smoke free vehicles will need to display a no-smoking sign in each compartment of the vehicle in which people can be carried. Failure to display the appropriate signs in vehicles initially will attract a fixed penalty of providing it is paid within 15 days or 200 if this is extended to 29 days. This could then rise to 1,000. Managers who fail to prevent smoking in a smoke free place can be fined up to Alcohol and Drugs Abuse by any employee can adversely affect the health and safety of yourself and others whether on site or on the open road. Therefore, it is the policy of company that if any person knows or strongly suspects them of being affected by alcohol or drugs it must be referred to the appropriate manager/ supervisor. Random Testing Due to the safety aspect and possible consequences of any driver being under the influence of alcohol and drugs, it is policy that drivers will be required to provide a suitable sample or undertake a test at any reasonable request. Manual Handling (tail lifts and ramps, plus luggage) No person should be allowed to operate a vehicle mounted passenger lift without recognised training and should hold a certificate of training. Training should include manufacturer s best practice on use of their equipment. Care must be taken when using ramps and lifts to ensure safe working loads and incline angles are not exceeded as laid down in PUWER / LOLER legislation or standards.

9 Mobile Phones Research from the Department for Transport has demonstrated that reaction times for drivers using a handheld phone are 30 per cent worse than for driving under the influence of alcohol at the legal limit and using a mobile phone whilst driving means you are four times more likely to crash. It is illegal to use a hand-held mobile phone or similar device while driving and drivers face fixed penalty fines and 3 licence penalty points. If cases go to court, a maximum fine of 1,000 could be imposed for cars. The legislation makes it an offence for a driver to: Speak or listen to a phone call on a hand held phone. Send or receive text messages or images. Use any hand held device to access data, including the Internet. Hold any electronic device used for accessing oral, textual or pictorial communications. Driving is defined as sitting at the wheel of a vehicle with the engine running. All phone calls distract drivers and therefore drivers can also be prosecuted for using a hands-free phone or similar device if distracted or deemed not to be in proper control of the vehicle. 3. Environmental light: bright light tends to increase alertness while dim light leads to drowsiness. 4. Aroma: Studies have found that some smells e.g. peppermint makes people more alert. Others, like lavender, have a sedative effect. 5. Sleep: It is imperative that drivers receive sufficient sleep when off duty; this however can be dramatically affected by a change in the driver s personal circumstances outside of work. 6. Where drivers feel sleepy they should stop at the nearest safe place. Managing Driver Fatigue Driver fatigue is a very serious problem resulting in many thousands of road casualties each year. Research from the DofT shows that up to 20% of accidents on monotonous roads, such as motorways were fatigue related and a further 29% of drivers reported having felt close to falling asleep at the wheel at least once in the previous twelve months. The following steps should be taken to reduce driver fatigue and lessen the risk to drivers and passengers. This is an important part in managing the occupational road risks faced. Plan work and work patterns to minimise the likelihood of driver fatigue. Drivers should not attempt to drive for more than 2 hours without having a break. Activities such as walking will help keep you alert. Other measures to decrease the onset of journey fatigue include the control of: 1. Temperature: Cool dry air, especially on your face, helps keep you alert. 2. Sound: Irregular or variable sounds e.g. conversation can stimulate alertness.

10 D. Code of Good Driver Conduct Drivers must; Be polite and courteous to passengers at all times Be tidy and smart in appearance Not make remarks that could be considered to be offensive in any way Drive in a considerate manner at all times, avoid sharp braking, harsh acceleration etc. Wear the identification badge, (which must be visible), as required by the Local Authority at all times Not exceed the number of passengers specified in the licence Not eat, drink or smoke in the vehicle while carrying passengers Ensure locks are used if a specific contract requires a vehicle with childproof locks Lift child seats and/or booster seats in out of vehicles and correctly secure them Ensure any luggage etc do not block the gangway/exits, (minibuses) Ensure that passengers under 12 years of age always wear seatbelts Ensure when driving off that passengers are well clear of the vehicle Always stay within the speed limits Use the SAVE principles and stay calm in the event of an accident. Report any accident resulting in an injury to a passenger or any other person to the police Always stay within speed limits Always lock the vehicle when unattended Be medically fit to drive and must inform the Company, (and DVLA), about any medical condition which may affect the ability to drive Not drive whilst under the influence of drugs or take medication that may affect the ability to drive. Not use a mobile phone at any time whilst driving Where possible stop on the same side of the road as the destination when dropping off passengers Ensure the safety of passengers when dropping off/picking up by paying attention for any hazards or traffic Keep this handbook in your glove compartment at all times.

11 TFP Schemes, Trevillian House, 40, Cathedral Road, Cardiff CF11 9LL TFP/DH/ Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority