Posted: Friday 14 July 2017
How many of us have waxed lyrical about what it was like to get a driving licence back in the 'good old days'? It seems many of us have forgotten the pressure we faced as we sat next to the tester hoping and praying we did not make a critical mistake that would send us home without that coveted licence. So much so, in fact, that drivers responding to a recent survey are in favour of even tougher tests for learners.
Posted: Friday 23 June 2017
As an employer, you could conduct real-time licence checks on your drivers only to discover that one of them has a history of impaired driving. But what does that mean? Was that driver caught behind the wheel after drinking or taking illicit drugs? Possibly. But it could also mean something a lot more innocent. The incident in question could have been nothing more than driving after taking allergy medicine.
Posted: Friday 09 June 2017
If you have ever wondered whether a regular driver licence check is necessary for your company drivers, you need look no further than a number of recent news stories that show just what can happen when a person is caught driving without a proper licence.
Posted: Friday 12 May 2017
New guidance just issued by the General Medical Council should bring non-professional drivers more in line with their professional counterparts in terms of being healthy enough to drive safely. However, the guidance is not expected to impact professionals with HGV licences who are already required to undergo routine medical checks in order to keep working. The guidance also has only a minimal impact on employers who run electronic licence checks on their drivers.
Posted: Friday 28 April 2017
A few short years from now, completing a successful driver licence check on a younger driver will mean that person can safely and effectively use a sat nav while driving. Thanks to recent changes to the driving exam announced by the DVSA, new drivers will need to demonstrate sat nav proficiency to get their driving licences.
Posted: Friday 21 April 2017
Licence checks are on the verge of getting a lot easier for both commercial drivers and their employers. Thanks to a plan already set in motion by the DVLA, qualified drivers already part of the agency's online system will be able to store a digital representation of their licences on a smartphone and readily share them with third-party recipients like employers and car hire companies.
Posted: Friday 07 April 2017
Imagine sending your best driver out on his daily route in full confidence that he will complete the day's work and return to the warehouse safely. A few hours later, you get a phone call. Guess what? Your driver was pulled over and is now in trouble. Apparently, his driving licence expired months ago. Such a scenario could cost both you and him significantly.
Posted: Friday 17 March 2017
As of 1st March 2017, the penalties for using a mobile phone while driving became a lot more severe. So severe, in fact, that it's now worth considering locking your mobile phone in the glove compartment so there's absolutely no temptation. The tougher penalties will hopefully reduce the number of car accidents on our roads and save lives at the same time.
Posted: Friday 03 March 2017
Recent efforts by the government to strengthen penalties for driving while using mobile phones have been well received thus far. From road safety experts to most of the fleet industry, the general reaction to the changes is one of agreement and support. Still, there is room for improvement.
Posted: Friday 17 February 2017
If you had to retake your driving test tomorrow to keep your licence, do you think you would pass? What about your fleet drivers? If they are like the majority of drivers in the UK, they probably don't have confidence in their own abilities either. It makes you wonder what we're all doing behind the wheel on any given day.