E Risk Newsletter
E Risk Newsletter
ISSUE 3
Introduction
Welcome to the third edition of E-Risk, the periodic electronic newsletter concentrating on all aspects of road safety. The main topic for this issue is the subject of drivers health and welfare.
This newsletter has been designed to assist you, raise awareness, and ultimately protect our workforce, and other road users. This is your newsletter and will be guided by your feedback, as such we will be introducing a letters page, where we will publish a selection of your views and comments. Each issue will have a star letter which will be awarded £25.00 of high street vouchers.
By working together we can create a better and safer working environment for all of us. Look out for your depot Risk Road shows and come and have a chat with the Risk and or Assistant Risk Manager.
Letter from the Risk Manager
For this edition we decided to approach road safety from a different angle, our health and welfare.
Our health and welfare can affect the way we drive, our safety and the safety of our passengers, and other road users. This can be anything from body mass index, dehydration right through to eyesight and stress, whilst the majority of this issue will concentrate on health and welfare it is a subject we hope to re-visit on a regular basis. In this issue we will be covering the subject of drivers eyesight, and the subject of recreational drugs. Look out for the article on fatigue in the next issue.
Many people can help and advise on looking after your health these include your doctor, health clinics, and your local library, the more you know about looking after your health the easier it is to do it.
Drivers’ eyesight
Introduction
Having good eyesight is one of the most basic requirements for safe driving. Being an experienced and skilled driver who is aware of the dangers of the road is meaningless if you are unable to spot hazards in time due to poor eyesight.
Eyesight needs to be checked on a regular basis throughout a driver’s lifetime, as many people’s eyesight deteriorates over time; sometimes without them noticing. Some road side checks recently carried out by police forces in Britain found that 1 in 20 drivers’ eyesight was below the minimum legal standard. However, further research has suggested that this figure in reality may be closer to 1 in 4.
The Law
It is a criminal offence for a driver to have vision below the legal minimum standard. If caught, a driver faces a fine of up to £1000, three penalty points and a possible driving ban.
By law a car driver must in good daylight be able to read a number plate at 20.5 metres for old style number plates and 20 metres for new style plates (new style plates are fitted to all vehicles registered post September 2001). They must also have a field of vision of not less than 120 degrees. If glasses or contact lenses are required to meet the legal minimum requirement, these must be worn whilst driving.
The law is extended for bus drivers; the aforementioned minimum standards apply and in addition drivers must ensure that they have a visual acuity of at least 6/9 in the prevalent eye and 6/12 in the other. Drivers must also have at least 3/60 in each eye without wearing glasses or lenses. This ensures that there is no evidence of double vision or diplopia. Bus drivers must pass a medical again at the age of 45, and then every 5 years up to the age of 65 when an annual medical is required. These medicals include eye sight tests.
What can affect a driver’s eyesight?
Some of the most common factors and medical conditions affecting a driver’s vision are listed below:
Out of date or dirty glasses or lenses.
Lazy eye (amblopia) which can sometimes result in difficulty in judging distances.
Cataracts, which can cause glare and difficulty in low light.
Tiredness can cause eyesight to be blurred, as can certain medication.
Progressive damage to the eye can be caused by misuse of tobacco, drugs, alcohol and by major vitamin deficiencies.
Macular degeneration causes gradual loss of vision in the central part of the field of vision.
Glaucoma causes damage to nerve fibres leading to a loss of or reduced peripheral vision.
Ageing; vision begins to deteriorate more rapidly at approximately 50 years of age; particularly night time vision.
Diplopia (double vision). It is illegal to drive with double vision unless adequately controlled.
There are also a number of medical problems not directly associated with your eyes that can result in reduced vision. These include:
Diabetes – affects about 1 in 50 people in the UK. Diabetes sufferers’ eyesight may not necessarily be affected but they are at higher risk of eyesight problems. Diabetes is the biggest cause of blindness in the UK.
Migraine – can be associated with temporary visual disturbances and flashing lights.
Cardiovascular problems – can cause the loss of part of your field of vision
Advice for drivers
Practical advice
Try and choose glasses with thin or no rims as they allow a greater field of vision.
Try and chose anti reflective coats on your lenses as they help cut down on glare, especially when driving at night.
Ensure your glasses or lenses are clean at all times. Keep a cleaning cloth in your driver’s bag.
Keep a spare of glasses or contact lenses with you if possible.
If you wear glasses and it is sunny, do not be tempted to wear non-prescription sunglasses.
Some medication may reduce or impair vision. Always check with your doctor that the prescription is safe for driving.
General advice
Have your eyes tested at least every two years.
If you notice any deterioration in your eyesight between normal checkups, arrange to have your eyes tested.
If you are taking any medication or suffer from any medical condition, check with your GP whether this could affect your driving.
Useful web site addresses
If you want to find out more about road safety why not have a look at the following websites
or if you have any concerns about your own health and welfare visit
Feedback / letters page
We want to help you do your job to the best of your abilities and as safe as possible, as such this is your newsletter, and you can guide us in its contents and format. If you have anything to say about either of the two issues or have any suggestions for future articles please get in touch you can contact the Risk Management Dept via James Mitchells e-mail jamesmitchell@arriva-shires.com
Each issue we will publish the best letter received or the best suggestion for future articles and this perso
n will be awarded a £25.00 high street voucher.
Quarterly Draw
As a thank you to the subscribers of E-Risk we will on a quarterly basis be carrying out a draw, the first e-mail pulled out of the draw will receive £25.00 worth of high street vouchers. This periods winner is Driver Glyn Skingley from the Luton Depot. £25.00 worth of High Street vouchers will shortly be on their way to Glyn.
New VOSA Rules
Our aim when producing this newsletter has always been to help make your jobs as safe as possible and as such we are more than happy to report on any aspect of the job you want to us to look at providing it has a risk or health and safety angle. A subscriber recently made contact with us and asked us to write an article on the new VOSA rules. We in turn asked the man in the know
The Road Safety Act 2006 & Road Traffic Offenders Act1988
We are now into the first month of the recent changes to the Road Safety Act 2006: Section 5. The changes were effective from the 1st of May 2009. It is therefore timely to remind all staff what these changes mean and how they will affect each and every one of us.
The above Act allows vehicle inspectors to issue fixed penalty notices to drivers for roadworthiness offences in relation to defects found during roadside checks (“spot checks”)
If in the opinion of the vehicle examiner a defect is found which should have been evident to the driver, a fixed penalty can now be issued which will incur a fine and penalty points on your driving licence.
Fixed penalties must also be reported to the Traffic Commissioner, which will be noted against the Company’s Operators Licence and recorded against your own vocational driving licence.
This has currently been set at a £60.00 fine and three penalty points on your licence. The issuing of fixed penalties will operate in the same way as the existing police method for road traffic offences. You can not refuse a fixed penalty but you can plead ‘not guilty’ once the court papers are delivered to your home address.
Please note that if you decide to plead not guilty you risk the award been increased as well as dismissed. We strongly suggest that if you do receive a fixed penalty you discuss the matter with your trade union representative before taking any action.
The Traffic Commissioner firmly believes that drivers share the responsibility for vehicles roadworthiness with the company.
The key to maintaining a roadworthy vehicle rests not only with effective routine safety inspections, but also, and perhaps more importantly, a good quality 1st use check and constant monitoring of the vehicle whilst being driven. Defects noted must be recorded in writing using the vehicle defect book which should then be handed in to the engineers or duty managers.
Drivers’ Vehicle Defect Reporting Procedure
We have made a number of changes to the existing 1st use check and defect reporting systems in order to ensure our system is robust enough to ensure compliance with our legal obligations, and in doing so, protect both the company and the driver.
The key changes are: -
- Vehicle defect book will replace the existing 1st use check card
- Nil defect reporting – all drivers will sign off at the end of their duty
Full instructions are available in the drivers’ first use check and defect procedure available from your duty managers.
Procedure
Before leaving the depot the first driver of the day will complete a 1st use check using the top copy of the drivers’ vehicle defect book as a reference.
All boxes on the sheet must be ticked or crossed appropriately.
No defects to report
- Place white copy of sheet in 1st use check box before leaving the depot.
Defects to report
- Do not use the vehicle until the defect has been assessed by the engineers/ duty manager.
Defects noted whilst out in service must always be noted in the vehicle defect book in the first instance. Providing you adhere to this you will protect both yourself and the company. Before you can determine a vehicle’s roadworthiness, the following must be decided: –
- Is it dangerous?
- Is it likely to hurt anyone?
- Is the road handling of the vehicle affected?
- Does it affect brakes, steering or suspension?
- Does it affect bells or buzzers?
If the answer to any of the above is “yes”, then the vehicle should not be used until assessed by an engineer or supervisor and the defect book signed off.
It has been made clear that VOSA are adopting a common sense approach and will be looking for defects that could be classed as obvious, i.e. the type of things that really should have been picked up by a first use check such as, and this list is in no way exhaustive;
Loose wheels and tyre damage
Loose or dangerous panels / bodywork
ABS lamps
Bells and buzzers
Excessive smoke
Nil defect reporting
Under the terms of our Operator’s Licence, we must also have a system of recording nil defects. To demonstrate this, all drivers when signing off at the end of their duty should record if the bus they have just finished with has developed any faults whilst they have been driving it. They should also check the defect book for un-cleared driver reports.
You will find a nil defect report sheet next to the depot wayfarer please ensure you use it to sign off the vehicle when you sign off your module.
Any vehicle defects not signed off in the defect book should be reported to the engineers for rectification and the sheet marked yes even if the last driver did not detect the problem.
If there are no apparent defects the sheet should still be signed off but the box marked no should be ticked.
All of our systems for carrying out first use checks etc have been designed around the VOSA recommendations who in turn have produced some very helpful literature “A guide to maintaining roadworthiness” and “The safe operators guide” copies of which should be available in your depot.
Please do not under estimate the importance of your role. Drivers play a vital role in vehicle maintenance.
Star Letter
This issues Star Letter comes from Anthony Williams from the Harlow depot and they will be shortly receiving £25.00 worth of High Street Vouchers for the following letter.
Dear E-Risk,
Having just read through this months edition, I would like to say that I found it quite interesting. I have a couple of points that might make future editions.
1) The first use check. Perhaps going over the main points of the check but also how it relates to the new VOSA rules. A lot of drivers would like to know what is actually considered acceptable (e.g graffiti, lights scuffs/scrapes etc). Perhaps written in a "friendly" way so the driver doesn’t feel he can’t come into work for fear of being caught!2) I find the statistics interesting but perhaps slightly less would be better. It may be off putting for some as there are a lot in this edition.3) Some colour and a more modern/larger font would make it easier on the eye? ( Photos are good for getting your point across but you would need to switch to a publishing package and then convert to PDF format instead. The file size would still remain small. )4) The humorous quotes are a great idea. Humor is key to an interesting newsletter and can make facts easier to take in and remember.
Anthony Williams
The A – Z of safe driving
Over the next few issues w
e will be producing an A-Z of safe driving tips if you have any tips you would like to share please do not hesitate to contact us.
A
Alcohol
ARRIVA PLC operates a zero tolerance policy to alcohol. As professional drivers you should be aware of your capability / fitness to drive. This includes being aware of the effects of alcohol. Remember it take 8 hours for your body to fully process 4 pints of normal strength beer.
Acceleration
The smoothness of their ride is often an important factor in passengers choosing to use our services. Showing consideration when using the accelerator demonstrates care for your passengers. Acceleration should be smooth, steady and reflective of the road conditions.
Anticipation
The key to driving professionally is the ability to anticipate the actions of other road users, pedestrians, animals and surrounding conditions.
Attitude
Always remember that as a bus driver you are a professional road user. Be careful and considerate towards other road users. Try to
be understanding, if other road users are causing problems; they may be inexperienced or new to a particular area. Be patient and remember that anybody can make a mistake. Do not become agitated and never over-react. Familiarise yourself with the ARRIVA the Shires & Essex “Managing road rage” leaflet.
Drug Driving a driver’s guide to the affect of illegal drugs
Introduction
Driving on drugs is increasingly prevalent. Illegal drugs and some medicinal drugs can severely affect a driver’s ability to stay alert, to react to hazards, and to make safe judgments. We have previously detailed the affects of certain prescription medication in our Cold Flu and Hay fever guide; this document details the affects of non- prescription/illegal medication has been designed to be read along side it.
Statistics
Almost 1 in 5 (18) people killed in road crashes had traces of illegal drugs in their blood, most commonly cannabis.
Of 1,396 voluntary drivers randomly tested by Glasgow University, one in seven had taken illegal substances in the last 48 hours.
One police division took blood screening of 23 people killed in road traffic accidents in one year and reported 50% of the drivers had traces of either cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, or a prescription drug in their blood stream.
In 2006, 1 in 6 British 17 to 24 year olds admitted to taking drugs at least once in the last month.
Government figures indicate that more than a third of the UK has taken illegal drugs in their lifetime, over 10% in the last year, and over 7.5% in the last month.
Current figures seem to indicate that driving under the influence of drugs is now more prevalent than drink driving.
How do drugs affect driving?
Illegal drugs affect people in different and unpredictable ways. In some cases the effect of drugs can last for days, either through direct impairment or through tiredness resulting in disturbed sleep patterns.
Research has shown a direct link between illegal drugs and crash risks, a university in France calculated that a driver with cannabis still in their system was twice as likely to be involved in a fatal crash as those with no drugs or alcohol evident.
We have detailed a number of the most common illegal drugs which can impair driving ability;
Cannabis
Is the most highly used of illegal substances with an estimated 3 million users in the UK.
Cannabis will hinder concentration and co-ordination up to 5 days after use.
Can produce disrupted sleep resulting in fatigue.
Slows reactions
Cocaine
The second most widely used illegal drug in the UK with an estimated three quarters of a million users.
Cocaine can cause over confidence and erratic behaviour, often resulting in risk taking.
Can hinder concentration and co-ordination and can cause tiredness in the “come down” period a day or two after taking the drug.
Ecstasy
Increases heart rate and causes adrenaline rushes which can result in over confidence and risk taking.
Can distort perception, create confusion and cause blurred vision.
Can disrupt sleep, resulting in tiredness and slower reaction times.
Speed
Will make the user over excited and over confident.
Will disrupt sleep and produce slower reaction times.
Heroin
Impairs co-ordination and slows reaction times.
Dulls perception and reduces awareness.
Will cause disrupted sleep patterns and fatigue.
The Law
The penalties for driving while impaired by drugs are covered by the Prevention of driving under the influence of drugs act 2003 (road traffic amendment). If convicted under this legislation you could receive a one-year driving ban, a fine, and up to 6 months in prison. A ten-year sentence would apply if convicted of causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drugs.
Advice for drivers
Illegal drugs impair driving and increase your chances of killing yourself and others on the road.
You might think that what you choose to do in your own time is up to you, but some drugs remain in your system for days and even weeks, and can cause impairment from fatigue. Taking drugs is likely to impact on your safety behind the wheel.
What to do
If you feel you have a problem with illegal drugs, speak to your Manager or the HR Department; they will endeavour to offer as much assistance as they can. If you fail to speak to your Manager and continue to drive whilst impaired, you are putting yourself, your career, your dependants and others at risk.
Newsflash
Arriva nationwide will shortly be launching a revised drug policy to be adopted by all divisions; random drug testing will begin from the 1st of October 2009. Watch this space for more information.