A practical guide for anyone who drives for work, covering checks before setting off, fatigue, phone use and what to do at the scene of an accident.

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Further Reading

Further guidance on safe driving and driving for work:

• Driving for Work
• Managing Drivers
• Management of Vehicles
• Health and Safety knowledge base

How to Download

These files are included in the alphaZ subscription. The training talk is also included in the ISO 45001 Toolkit and the integrated toolkits that include it.

Need Help Implementing?

If you'd like hands-on help setting up driver checks and defect reporting for your vehicles, our remote support services provide direct expert input from our team, by the day, by project, or on an ongoing basis.

Safe Driving Guidance

A general guidance document on safe driving for anyone who drives for work, whether in a company vehicle, a hired vehicle or their own. It explains the checks to make before setting off, the rules for driving safely, preventing fatigue, using phones and what to do after an accident.

Topics Covered

• Checking the vehicle - the checks a driver makes before setting off, from tyres, lights and brakes to seat belts, mirrors and the load
• Emergency equipment - making sure any first aid kit, warning triangle or high-visibility vest issued is in place, and reporting missing items
• Driving safely - keeping proper control, observing speed limits, taking care around vulnerable road users, securing loads and keeping to driving hours
• Preventing fatigue - how tiredness affects concentration, when to stop and rest, and avoiding journeys with very early starts or late finishes
• Mobile phones and devices - the ban on holding a phone or device while driving, even in queuing traffic, and the limited hands-free use allowed
• Accidents and incidents - reporting every accident regardless of fault, what to do at the scene and not admitting liability

Who Is It For?

Everyone who drives for work, whether in a company vehicle, a hired vehicle or their own vehicle.

Included in the ISO 45001 Toolkit

This guidance is supplied with the TT-1-01 Safe Driving training talk, which is part of the ISO 45001 Toolkit and the integrated toolkits that include it.

Using the Guidance

Issue it to drivers at induction and before they first drive for work, and keep it as a reference alongside the company driving policy. Record who has received it, for example on the training matrix.

What to Do After an Accident

The accident section gives drivers a clear order of actions at the scene. Stop and give your details, call the emergency services if needed, report the accident directly to management, do not admit liability, and take details and photographs if it is safe to do so. It also makes the point that hitting property, street furniture or an animal is a road traffic accident too.

Adapting the Guidance

Edit the guidance to match your own arrangements - the pre-start check sheet and defect report your drivers use, the emergency equipment carried, your recommended break times, the rules for phones installed in company vehicles and who accidents are reported to.

Related Documents

Other documents that work alongside this guidance:

• PP-1-01 Driving Use Vehicles Policy Procedure
• P-9 Driving Policy
• P-62 Driving Own Vehicles Policy
• F-HS15 Vehicle Defect Report Form
• F-HS33 Driver Health Declaration
• RA-HS39 Driving and Deliveries
• GG-1-07 Company Vehicles