Speeding Is The ‘Leading Driving Offence’ For Fleets
Speeding is the leading driving offence that occurs in fleet vehicles according to new data.
The research found that a staggering 82% of all driving offences committed by fleet drivers were speeding-related, meaning that more than four in five of all driving offences are a result of speeding.
After speeding, there’s a significant drop off to any other offences with 2.7% being related to using a mobile phone, 2.6% for not having insurance, 2.5% relating to not complying with police when stopped and 2% for traffic light offences.
Fleet owners are constantly trying to ensure that their fleet and drivers are as safe as possible to ensure that they’re complying with the law and making the road a safer place for other drivers and road users.
But these figures suggest that speeding is an issue that persists with drivers, particularly in company cars and vans. HGVs are slightly different as most are fitted with speed limiters which means that they can’t exceed speed limits but that’s often not the case in other fleet vehicles.
What Does It Mean For Fleet Safety?
The fact that speeding makes up more than 80% of all fleet driving offences shows just how much of an issue it is while also highlighting the fact that other offences have been cracked down on through education, safety mechanisms, and driver awareness.
But the data also revealed that the majority of speeding offences were being committed on public roads rather than motorways, which is perhaps not unsurprising given the prevalence of speed cameras on the UK’s motorways today.
Education, monitoring, and safety procedures are already a key part of fleet operations, as we know, but the figures show just how important it is that those things continue, and it emphasises their importance.
We all know the implications of driving at higher speeds – the fatality rates of accidents increase significantly with every additional 5/10 mph speed that’s being driven.
Not only that but driving at increased speeds unnecessarily can also increase wear and tear on vehicles, use more fuel, and cause strain on vehicles.
Mobile phone use has been an issue that’s been highlighted by specific changes to the law and it’s also an issue that disproportionally affects the fleet industry, too…
Data revealed that fleet drivers are TWICE as likely to use a mobile phone while driving.
A study by the Department for Transport (DfT) found that the proportion of van drivers observed using a mobile device while operating a vehicle was double that of the average driver.
There are several reasons why that might be the case, with one of the main ones being the reality that because the fleet industry is driving as part of their role, there’s a likelihood that they might need to communicate while driving.
But the safe way to do so is by using hands-free methods or pulling over to take important calls to ensure that you can concentrate on driving safely.
Do you think speeding is a significant issue on our roads? And do you think new mobile phone laws are having an effect? Could more be done to clamp down on driving offences? Let us know in the comments below.
