Common Van Driving Mistakes & How To Avoid Them
Sadly, no matter how hard we try, accidents happen. Even the most cautious of us can’t avoid mistakes all of the time, particularly on the road, with many factors playing their part for a driver’s attention to be diverted away from what’s in front of them. We can, however, make sure we provide ourselves with the best possible chance of avoiding them. Below we take a closer look at common van driving mistakes and how to avoid them.
Breaking Speed Limit
Speeding may seem obvious, but in truth, exceeding the speed limit is often only noticeable when it’s severe. Most of us, however, are guilty of speeding, even if we don’t always realise it. Fleet drivers, in particular, are expected to follow the designated speed limit for a given area, to avoid accidents or collisions on the road caused by a lack of control over the vehicle from driving too fast.
A simple way to avoid this is to fit your vehicle with a speed limiter, or through owning a vehicle with a cruise control function, to avoid the risk of unknowingly exceeding the speed limit. Equally, many satellite navigation systems will notify the driver of the current speed limit of every road to further prevent this issue.
Driving When Tired
We should all be aware of the dangers of driving when tired, and this is particularly important when it comes to fleet operators. Van driving often requires long hours, working through the night and a need to continually be on the go. This can naturally lead to tiredness, which is well-documented to dramatically reduce a driver’s ability to react in a similar way to that of alcohol. Before driving a van, you should ensure you are well-rested and that you are taking regular breaks when needed to prevent the risk of falling asleep at the wheel. As the famous adage goes; tiredness can kill, take a break.
Distracted On Road
Distractions can be a real problem when driving, particularly for long-distance fleet operators, with everything from your phone, to your radio, sat-nav and even your speedometer requiring your attention at different moments. Of course, it’s illegal to use your phone, take calls, send texts or take photos when driving, but this will also extend to simply switching songs or using sat-nav on your phone.
The use of a mobile device when driving can have a serious impact on your ability to react, control your speed, correctly judge distances between the vehicle ahead and even your own lane position.
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