Van Driving Made More Dangerous by Mobile Phones

We all know how dangerous it is to operate a vehicle while using a mobile phone. It does not matter whether you are driving a large truck, a passenger car, or a medium-sized delivery van. Mobile phones are a clear and present danger by way of voice calls, texting, surfing the web, etc. Therefore, it is unfortunate to discover that the majority of van drivers use their phones while behind the wheel.

A recently released survey from Flexed, a car hire firm specialising in short term leases, indicates that 60% of van drivers use their mobile phones while on the road. That is in contrast to 45% of car drivers. More specifically, the survey of 400 motorists shows that the van drivers are willing to respond to a text message or answer the phone while driving.

What is causing van drivers to behave this way? Flexed believes it has to do with enforcement rates. It says the number of people being caught these days is about half what it was at the time the mobile phone ban first went into effect in 2006, giving drivers the false impression that the law is not being enforced. This leads them to believe that they can use their mobile phones without being caught.

The majority of mobile phone use while driving is directly related to calls and texts. However, about 10% of the time, van drivers are accessing the Internet for information about their destinations. Imagine trying to read a map or ask for directions online when your attention should be on the task of driving. How dangerous is that? Extremely dangerous.

Van driving is no different than operating a passenger car or HGV. It requires all of your attention to do it safely. Apparently, some 60% of the van operators on the road do not seem to get it.

An Acquired Skill

Driving a van professionally is an acquired skill that starts with quality training. At the HGV Training Centre, we provide the classroom and behind-the-wheel instruction that drivers need to be safe as professionals. We take great pride in producing some of the finest drivers on UK roads. What’s more, we stress safety as one of our highest priorities.

We teach our students the dangers of operating a van or HGV while using a mobile phone. Of course, we are not there to enforce the law after drivers earn the licences and head off to work. Nonetheless, we do our best to instil in each student the mindset of safety first. When professional drivers are safe, we are all safer for it.

The HGV Training Centre can help you with all of your commercial driver training needs. Whether you are an individual driver looking to operate an articulated lorry or city bus, or you are a fleet manager with dozens of drivers reporting to you, we can provide the quality training you need at a price you can afford. New classes are constantly forming at our 45+ facilities throughout the UK.

Sources:

Business Car Magazine – http://www.businesscar.co.uk/news/2014/majority-of-van-drivers-use-phones-while-driving