Safe Speed Forums

Surely they can do this already? AIUI if I consume my usual on a Saturday night and then decide to go for a drive around the pedestrianised town centre then althought my insurance company will be liable for the victim's families, I will also be liable to my insurance company for what they have paid out - and I can't see why drink driving would be any different to negligent employer practice.

Not all companies are that bad. Mine has now banned the use of any mobile phone - handheld or not - whilst driving.

Having said that, they have also banned the use of headphones to listen to music whilst at the desk, so maybe they are just control freaks.

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Brian

Beat this - last place I worked you literally had to put
your hand up to go to the toilet and take your breaks
when you are told to!

All under the guise of getting more production out
of us. Its quite silly because then the staff get so pi$$ed
off with being treated this way, they deliberately slow
down their work. This "company policy" is another
pathetic attempt to crush imagination and spirit, well
there are certain people whose imagination and spirit
is a lot more dynamic than others and they get out of
a place like that one way or another.

I could write an essay on the mis-conduct of the managers
at that place.

The company for which I formerly worked, (one the biggest oil companies), took the huge step, in late 2004, of banning the use of mobile 'phones in moving vehicles. They had previously fitted hands-free kit to all company vehicles but then took the next step and banned 'phone use full stop. This applied even if you were driving your own car on company business. Breaking the rule was, and still is, a disciplinary job.

Would be nice to see more companies take this approach. There is no valid reason for a driver to use a mobile whilst driving, apart from convenience.

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"Experience isn't everything - but it's most of it".

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you.

Many years ago, when I had a company car, my company had fuel cards for petrol and oil and nothing else. Nothing else would be allowed on expenses as they claimed the car was fully expensed via the leasing company.

They changed their collective minds on this when I booked the car into the main dealer to have the washer bottle filled. The leasing company rejected the dealers account and passed it to my company for payment. Shortly after that we were allowed to spend up to £5 on expenses for 'sundries'.

To illustrate the stupidity of some companies rules. Another company I worked for would not pay more than £50/night for hotel accommodation. If you paid more, you could only claim £50.

I flew out to Belfast for a problem and it was dragging on to the point where I knew it would stretch into the next day. I could not find a hotel under £75 (tall ships race had filled hotels throughout the area), I rang my director and asked if this would be OK. His rsponse was that he could not authorise more than £50. So I flew back that night and flew out again the next day - an extra £200+ in air travel, plus my overtime instead of paying £25 extra.

First post, so be gentle!

Since late 2004, traffic police have been recording journey purpose (business/personal/commuting) on STATS19 when they're called to the scene of an accident. Should be interesting when they release the stats.

There has also recently been an amendment to the RDIM (Road Death Investigation Manual) giving clarification to the police as to when they should get the HSE involved - eg when there is suspicion of management failure (tiredness/excessive hours, etc) or poor vehicle maintenance, whether company or driver-owned. The cat is well and truly among the pigeons when it comes to car allowances!

The 'L plate' warns regulars to give new users extra care, and disappears after 10 posts.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Yes, agreed. I would like to see this become standard "good practice" for company road risk policies.

However, unfortunately the way things are going we are likely to see the sort of companies that sponsor BRAKE giving employees disciplinary warnings for getting even trivial speeding convictions

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"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

My (soon to be former employer) at least puports to take driver safety seriously. They go beyond the ensuring your car is roadworthy to issuing guidance etc. They also review business mileage returns to see where people are doing ridiculous levels - although my 4600 last month seems to have slippped under that radar.

my former (and soon to be current) emplyer put all staff on 'drive to survive' courses.

Its in their direct financial interest with the fleet insurance premiums.

Huntsman, thanks for that I am aware of these changes but unfortunately until fairly recently it hasn't been happening, there have been elements within the police who feel 'how do we make the judgement of what is a management failure?', to be fair they don't have a great deal of H&S training.

There has been a recent case of a driver who whilst disqualified for DD had an accident in his company provided car, it lead to the employer being prosecuted for failing to make the checks, so I think that we could start seeing changes .

BTW to the forum.


CzechMate, if only more companies did the same, some of my clients get most upset that I don't answer my phone when I'm driving my response is that 'even though I have a hands free kit if it isn't safe I don't take calls, after all you are paying me for my safety knowledge and professionalism, you wouldn't want a safety consultant who has accidents do you?'


patdavies ROTFLMAO how incredably short sighted !!


civil engineer That sounds better than most, a friend works for a drinks company and they all have to do IAM fleet training before they get a company car, and as you say it is in thier financial interests, I managed to get a client 10% fleet costs reduction a year by getting fleet training for the drivers.

I stil get very annoyed when I see companies spouting 'as a driver you have a duty under the Road Traffic Act...' but never really acknowledging THIER responsibilities.

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Gordon Brown saying I got the country into it's current economic mess so I'll get us out of it is the same as Bomber Harris nipping over to Dresden and offering to repair a few windows.

Chaos, panic and disorder - my work here is done.

http://www.wildcrafts.co.uk