Yes! – When did you last read your Highway Code? A quick glance at the back of the current edition shook me when I recognised the cover of the 1969 edition! No I’m not THAT old, but it does give the game away a bit, not least that I haven’t read the Highway Code for quite a while. I bought a copy because I’m currently organising a couple of driver awareness training courses for clients at the moment. Although I’m getting an expert in to present the course I thought a brush up the Highway Code beforehand would be useful.

We are now getting enquiries regularly from companies who have recognised that when staff have to travel for their work there are a significant number of health and safety factors to consider. Queries range from something as simple as the road worthiness of the car to managing time pressures and speed awareness. We’ve had questions about driving in winter conditions; security for a lone driver or how to handle the safety, legal and moral implications of a member of staff driving whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs. After all, a vehicle is a piece of work equipment and needs to be viewed in the same way as any industrial machinery – it must be suitable for the job, inspected, maintained and handled by someone with the appropriate training, knowledge and experience and who is fit to carry out the task. Even if the car is owned by the member of staff, whilst they are driving a vehicle on behalf of the company, the company has a responsibility for the safety of the individual and their effect on others.

If you feel that we can help you and your staff become better drivers through driver safety awareness training or policies then get in touch. In the meantime, here are some questions to see how much you remember of The Highway Code.

Questions:

  1. If there are streetlights present what is the speed limit?
  2. What is the typical stopping distance for a car travelling at 50mph.
  3. What parts of your car must you keep clear of snow?
  4. What does this sign mean?
  5. What is the mandatory penalty for a driver who accumulates 12 points?
  6. What is a driver indicating if they have their right arm out of the window and are circling in an anti-clockwise direction?
  7. Where is it illegal to park fully or partially on a pavement?
  8. What does ATM mean?
  9. What must you do if you park on the road at night?
  10. Who is responsible for ensuring that passengers in the car are wearing seat belts?

 

Answers:

  1. 30 miles an hour, unless otherwise stated
  2. 53 mts or 13 car lengths
  3. Windscreen; lights; number plate (Rule 229)
  4. Bumpy road ahead
  5. Driving ban of three years.
  6. Turning left
  7. Anywhere in London (Rule 244)
  8. Active Traffic Management system
  9. Park in the direction of the traffic, unless it’s an authorised parking space. And put parking lights or side lights on if the speed limit is over 30 mph.
  10. For children under 14 years of age it’s the driver. Otherwise it’s the passenger.

If I were to tell you that you could save significant time and money by implementing something very simple and inexpensive, you would be keen to read on.  If, however, I were to start talking about ‘records’ and ‘document control’, I can almost hear the collective groan!  Why is it that we all dread the thought of ‘admin’ when really all it takes is a little forethought and discipline to create a healthy saving?

Think about the last time you were in a hurry to leave the house and couldn’t find the car keys.  How long did it take to search your coat pockets, handbag, briefcase or under the settee?  Multiply that amount by how much you charge for your time and then add the potential (or actual) cost of having been late, such as losing a client.  The resulting sum is the amount of money you could have saved simply by hanging up the keys as you walked in the door.

The old adage ‘A place for everything and everything in its place’ comes to mind, whether at home or at work. I remember a few years ago visiting a company where no one had kept the software license list up-to-date. It cost the company hours in time and money to locate where computers had been moved to, what software had been installed on them, what the license numbers were and the passwords for upgrades. Had the company been going through an ISO9000 audit, a major non-conformance would have been raised. As it was, it just wasted a lot time, raised blood pressure and took hours to put it right. A simple spreadsheet at the outset and a clear procedure would have solved the problem.

If you have ever sent out a document to a client only to realise too late that it was an earlier draft – the one in which you spelt their name incorrectly all the way through – then you will know the importance of document control.  It takes seconds to upgrade a document’s issue status. Ignore it and it could be a costly business.

Then there are the implications of records such as HR files getting into the wrong hands because they weren’t stored or disposed of safely.  The Government’s missing Child Benefit data in 2007 is a case in point!

The ISO9001 quality standard provides a sound framework to improve business efficiency and performance.  Control of Records and Document Control are a fundamental part of the standard but you don’t need to have a quality standard to use the principles effectively. Click here to get a copy of our Quick Step Guide to Control of Records and Document Control.