Distraction when driving can be a dangerous activity, this has been covered within a previous article and within the CPC course. Its rather surprising to find DIY within this list of distractions but I have been guilty of day dreaming when I hear on the radio about a person winning the lottery, and by the end of the journey, I have successfully spent the winnings a dozen times over on various activities and joint business ventures.
Defining the meaning of a rest period of 24-hours for tachograph purposes.
Being asked recently about the denotation of the 24-hour period, in the context of tachograph legislation. There is some guidance from the European Commission which is aimed at enforcement officials but is a useful reference point on the meaning of 'each period of 24 hour's.
Marijuana (cannabis) and road safety.
Many professional drivers will have their own views on Marijuana (cannabis) and its recreation usage. I had previously looked at the effects it had on mental health and the research study found that psychotic behaviour’s indents were more prevalent in young adults using this drug.
professional drivers: Early diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea
Introduction to obstructive sleep apnoea
This briefing arose from a campaign by Unite lorry drivers in the North East of England who wanted to raise awareness about obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) for professional drivers.
Feeling tired at work may be for a variety of reasons, not necessarily because they are suffering from OSA, and they should seek advice from their GP.
Proper and early diagnosis of any condition along with appropriate medical treatment from the NHS is essential for members' continued health at work. Seeking medical advice is also important to ensure that professional drivers can comply with the DVSA medical standards - self-diagnosis is not a suitable option.
Roadside Eye-Catchers Drive Motorists To Distraction
UK drivers are putting themselves at risk because they struggle to keep their eyes on the road.
Roadside objects such as billboards, flashing signs and Christmas decorations cause a third of motorists (32 percent) to lose concentration while behind the wheel.
With 41 percent of these drivers confessing to being distracted for up to 5 seconds – which equates to driving 15 car lengths at 30mph – two and a half times, the stopping distance needed at this speed.
Driven to Distraction
“Each day in the United States, approximately 9 people are killed and more than 1,000 injured in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver”.
What Is Distracted Driving?
Distracted driving is any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system—anything that takes your attention away from the task of safe driving.
Another frequent question is whether talking on the phone is really any more dangerous than putting on mascara, shaving, or reading a map while driving — all things we’ve seen drivers do. I reply that indeed, any activity that distracts a driver visually or cognitively increases the risk of an accident. (And for clinicians, that includes dictating.) It’s just that cell-phone use is far more widespread than these other activities. But none of them is safe.
Maintaining truck and trailer fridge units
Maintaining truck and trailer fridge units has become a lot more challenging in recent years, thanks to the impact of environmental legislation, reports Steve Banner. The European Union's latest regulations on fluorinated greenhouse gases (EU 517/2014), in force since January 2015, means that all refrigeration systems on trucks and trailers must be inspected annually for leaks by an F-gas certified technician, says Carrier Transicold northern Europe managing director Scott Dargan.
Do we have a booze / drink problem
Every company policy state that if you drink on the road your job will be terminated. Also, if any alcohol is found in your truck by your company your employment will also be terminated. Most of the major transport companies also have a mandate that all drivers involved in a road traffic accident will need to take a compulsorily drug and alcohol test. The consumption of alcohol is prevalent amongst professional drivers and stress has been linked to the increase in consumption.
Smart tachographs: what you need to know
JUNE 2019 will see the biggest change in tachograph regulation in more than 12 years - the mandatory introduction of 'smart tachographs' in all new vehicles. With many improvements, such as satellite positioning data and increased security, the new devices are
Smuggler Hides Asylum Seekers In Back Of Refrigerated Truck
A gang ringleader has been jailed for smuggling hundreds of migrants, including children, into Britain inside refrigerated lorries. Alket Dauti, a UK-based Albanian, worked with corrupt lorry drivers to bring people into the country illegally via the Channel ports.
He was arrested in June at his home in Penge, south-east London, as part of a joint UK-Belgian investigation into organised crime.
The 31-year-old was convicted in his absence by a court in Belgium last month and has now been sent there to serve his ten year sentence and also been fined £625,000.
Two other men, described as his 'lieutenants', were Sentenced to eight years each and await extradition. Belgian prosecutors believe the gang made hundreds of attempts to smuggle migrants into the UK.
Only some were stopped by the Border Force. The National Crime Agency's Andrea Wilson said: 'Dauti treated desperate migrants as commodities he could make money from. He was perfectly happy to risk their lives on incredibly dangerous journeys in the backs of lorries.'
She added: 'Through our close working with the Belgian Federal Police and prosecutors, we have taken out a significant organised crime group involved in bringing migrants to the UK illegally. Dauti was head of that group.'