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Charlotte Haye 14th November 2018

5 Accident Prevention Tips For HGV Drivers

Good news! Fatalities from accidents on UK roads are in decline, and we’re close to the lowest fatality rate in years. But many people still die on our roads every year, and statistics show that heavy goods vehicles are involved in too many of those accidents for comfort. This is particularly true on more rural, single track roads, which see numerous accidents (both HGV and non-HGV related) every year, and around 60-80 deaths. So this year, we want to help reduce this number by sharing with you 5 ways you, as a responsible HGV driver, can prevent accidents on the roads.

Stay In Control

One of the biggest causes of HGV related accidents is the driver losing control of the vehicle. With a vehicle as big and heavy as, say, an articulated lorry, this can cause a lot of problems. Drivers can lose control for all sorts of reasons, from bad weather conditions like ice, fog and driving rain, to simple distraction (which we talk about below) to things out of their control like other drivers. If you want to avoid this, the best thing you can do is make sure your HGV is well-serviced at all times and that every function is working properly. Because if you do lose control at the wheel, those little things like wipers, lights and efficient brakes could literally save lives.

Keep Your Eyes Open

Being aware of what’s around you is a key tenant of road safety. But with a bigger vehicle, that can be a little more challenging – especially when your blind spots are 5 times bigger than most motorists. But a failure to look around you is one of the biggest causes of road traffic accidents especially when motorcycles are involved. That means that you need to be more active when to comes to road awareness. Check your blind spots all the time, keep your mirrors clean and make a point of being aware of the motorists and road around you.

Drive Safely

The UK has some of Europe’s busiest roads, and the drivers on them are far from the politest you will find. UK drivers tend to be a bit more aggressive, and it can be really tempting to respond to that aggression with more aggression, or passive-aggression. But recklessness isn’t just aggression – it’s also thing like driving with alcohol or drugs in your system, or not paying attention to the people around you. It’s best to try and remain calm, and not respond to aggression on the road. Instead, treat idiots with a healthy dose of zen, and never drive with any illicit substances in your system.

Be Responsible

Have you ever been tempted to check your mobile phone during that endless stream of slow-moving traffic? Or fiddle with the radio while you’re on the motorway on a long drive? It’s something we all experience, and yet every year lives are lost in these few moments of carelessness. Accidents are also more common at night – specifically after 11pm, when drivers are tired and not as alert. So if your eyelids are starting to droop – take a break, rest and recharge before you get back on the road. It might cost you 30 minutes on your schedule, but that 30 minutes extra travel is not worth losing your – or someone else’s life.

Stick to the Speed Limit

And of course – the classic. Speeding. Did you know that four people were caught speeding every minute last year? Speed limits aren’t just pretty signs – they are there to keep everyone on the road safe, and allow you enough stopping time to avoid accidents. This is especially important on rural roads, where it might be tempting to shave a few minutes off your drive time by speeding up. But speed limits are the absolute maximum – not the minimum or a target. If you want to stay safe on the roads, especially in a vehicle as large as an HGV, you need to stick to the speed limits and not become another speeding (or fatality) statistic.

At Easy as HGV, we don’t want any HGV driver to be responsible for the loss of life. That’s why we take extra care to educate our drivers on our HGV training courses, not just on the mechanics of how to drive their vehicles, but best practices for staying safe and avoiding accidents. If you would like to know more about becoming an HGV driver, or more tips for staying safe on the road, just get in touch with us today.

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