Category: Blog

The benefits of fleet management far outweigh the cost and resources required to create and implement robust and effective fleet management processes.

In this article, we’re going to explore the benefits of fleet management, and how the right software will help you improve your fleet processes in more detail:

What Is Fleet Management?

Any company that uses commercial vehicles to carry out its operations and has more than one vehicle has a fleet.

With a fleet of vehicles comes a number of high-impact tasks that affect how efficiently a business operates. The better managed those tasks are, the better a fleet will perform.

That’s fleet management 101.

Fleet managers are tasked with overseeing fleet management. Some of their key responsibilities are; monitoring and reducing fuel consumption, keeping up to date with compliance, driver management, and vehicle maintenance to name just a few.

Using the right fleet management software incorporates every aspect of managing a fleet and streamlines the process end-to-end.

Benefits of Fleet Management

Here is a look at 7 of the key benefits of fleet management and how you can use fleet management software to optimise your performance:

Driver Management

Driver management covers a wide range of practical and corporate responsibilities. With our integrated Licence Checking solution, you can keep your driver details up to date and set flags or reminders when key information is needed.

You will also have a better view of collision, penalty, and incident management, can pull up a driver’s history, add notes about driver health and training, and much more.

You can also identify ‘high risk’ behaviours by setting thresholds that will identify certain driver behaviours through the use of Telematics. This can help save fuel, other maintenance costs, and more importantly, reduce the risk of accidents.

Cost Savings

One of the biggest challenges for fleet managers is keeping costs down. This becomes more difficult the larger a fleet, and without property fleet management you will never know how effective your cost-saving efforts are.

Using fleet management software is the most effective way you can reduce costs, and measure the impact of changes you implement.

Two of the main cost-saving areas are fuel and vehicle maintenance. Fuel makes up the bulk of operational costs for most fleets. FleetCheck enables you to monitor exactly how much fuel your drivers are using, and how efficiently they’re driving.

The same applies to vehicle maintenance costs. Drivers can use the FleetCheck Driver app to perform maintenance checks and alert you of maintenance issues early on, and you’ll get a reminder when maintenance is due.

Improved Compliance

Fleet compliance is an essential and continuous process that is always changing as new regulatory requirements come in.

Without a robust system in place, a diminishing culture of compliance can start to take effect, and this can be disastrous to a fleet and an organisation.

It’s imperative that fleet managers are aware of changes to legislation, and communications are rolled out fleet-wide when necessary.

Automate Vehicle Maintenance

Vehicle maintenance accounts for a large portion of a fleet’s costs. One of the main benefits of fleet management is being able to get a better handle on maintenance and reduce long-term spend.

We’ve developed a walkaround checking app that enables drivers to perform their daily vehicle checks and communicate their findings remotely.

This means fleet managers are alerted in real-time of any upcoming or urgent maintenance issues they need to be aware of. This paperless form of driver checks saves money, time, and improves driver safety.

Health and Safety

The HSE estimates that around a third of all road traffic accidents involve someone who is working at the time.

Unfortunately, having a driver involved in an accident is an occupational hazard of managing a fleet of vehicles. However, there is a lot you can do to reduce the risk of accidents and improve your drivers’ health and safety through effective fleet management.

You can keep your driver’s records up to date, be made aware of any health issues, monitor their driving hours and behaviours, identify ‘high-risk’ drivers and training needs, and more.

Analytics and Reporting

Having access to detailed analytics and reporting helps fleet managers see exactly how their fleet is performing against KPIs at a glance and enables them to make data-driven decisions.

Using FleetCheck, you can set KPIs around any metrics that are important to you and measure the impact of any changes you make. You’ll also have complete visibility into every aspect of your operations.

Eliminate Spreadsheets

It’s surprising how many large fleets still manage their fleets using spreadsheets. We know, however, that no matter how many vehicles you’re managing, the benefits of fleet management software outweigh the use of spreadsheets.

This isn’t just because spreadsheets are limited in functionality. They’re also less secure, there is an increased risk of human error, and they’re more time-consuming.

As we’ve covered above, the cost savings through using fleet management software are reason enough to implement the software.

Combined with the added benefits of tighter compliance, increased driver safety, and the other points we’ve covered, it’s an easy decision for fleet managers once they’ve seen a demo of what FleetCheck can do for their business.

Vehicle Fleet Optimisation is a hard-to-navigate topic, but one that you need to be aware of if you run a fleet.

The business landscape has changed dramatically over the last year meaning that it is more important than ever to understand how you can optimise your fleet and get it running as efficiently as possible.

In terms of optimising a fleet, you need to evaluate and understand it first, this will allow you to compare and appreciate what changes you will benefit from. With the fleet data, you have from before the pandemic and the fleet data you have now, as restrictions are easing, you should be able to easily draw comparisons, making you fully aware of the differences allowing you to understand the changes to make.

The culture within which businesses with fleets operate is most definitely changing. You need to ensure that the changes mirror your company requirements; optimisation is something that all businesses can benefit from looking at. Once you have made this evaluation you will be able to go through the steps below and deduce which are going to be the most valuable to you and your fleet.

Early Terminations.
Handing back a vehicle early can incur recharges, and these recharges can be expensive. In some cases, it can be more beneficial to keep a vehicle for the duration of its lease but have it ‘off-road.’ To mitigate against increased costs, it is best to get any vehicle inspected before ‘hand back’ and deal with any cosmetic repairs using a SMART repair technique.

Pool Mileage.
If you have a fleet in which vehicles are often doing various journey lengths it may be worth a conversation with your lease provider as to whether pool mileage is something they can offer you. By pooling your mileage across all your vehicles you won’t incur penalties if one vehicle does slightly more miles and others do slightly less as your allowed mileage is spread across all vehicles.

Renegotiation.
If your estimated milage is lower than your contract you can contact your leasing company to renegotiate your costs based on the lower estimated milage, which may result in a reduction in monthly payments. It is important to note that due to the changed residual value, costs reduction requests can be rejected. By reviewing your policy and discovering that early termination is not an option you may need to request that your contracted miles are reduced.

Legal and Taxation Responsibilities.
Due to the drastic and unforeseen change in the business world that is a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic, company car drivers are not using their cars in the same way. As a result of this, a lot of people are electing to operate their own vehicles for business. Using a personal vehicle for work means you are eligible to receive Approved Mileage Allowance. A prominent growing trend that can be seen is that a lot of companies are looking to migrate from company cars to grey fleets.

Damage Costs.
Damage costs are on the rise and are becoming an increasing problem. Companies must have a policy in place to follow and enforce when a vehicle gets damaged. This policy should dictate as to when drivers take ownership of the vehicle they are driving and if they are going to be held personally responsible for any damages. When handing a vehicle back to a leasing company you must ensure that all damage is evidenced and documented either by the driver, company or an independent examiner. The BVLRA Code of Conduct is an excellent resource to use when learning about returning leased vehicles and the fair ‘wear and tear’ ruling. It is highly recommended that any vehicle is fully valeted upon its return. Fees can reach over £1,000, which can often be reduced by ensuring the car is clean and devoid of damage.

Disposal.
Be aware, disposing of vehicles on mass can be very costly. It would be good to understand the market and the different mediums you can use to dispose of vehicles e.g., auctions, webuyanycar.com and Auto Trader. If you are disposing of a vehicle you need to make sure that you do not have any outstanding credit on it.

Fleet Redeployment.
Redeploying vehicles within your fleet is usually going to be the better option than an early return. It is vital to ensure that all vehicles are legal and road-worthy on return from their previous drivers and as they are redeployed. Vehicles can deteriorate a lot of wear and tear if they are parked for extended periods. It is important to ensure that they undertake a thorough inspection close to them being driven again.

Replacement Cycles, and Choice Lists.
Warranties are getting longer, it is now a popular possibility to extended warranties from manufactures as well as manufacturers offering longer warranties to start with. If you are looking to replace your vehicles on a 3-year cycle and have a low mileage fleet, then a 4–5-year cycle is a very viable option and can be very cost-effective. Another option may be to finance vehicles over a longer period, by doing this you can get more vehicles and use each less, keeping a high rotation level. This can be a good way to balance costs against use.

 

The government recently announced a new super deduction tax relief, coming into force this month, April 2021. This tax deduction could cut companies’ tax bills by 25 pence for every pound they invest in new equipment. This would mean reduced taxable profits by 130% of their cost. A key point to be aware of is that the relief is uncapped, this is unheard of and how companies with old, tired fleets can truly benefit. It is also key to know that the type of funding you use to acquire vehicles and equipment, must be where you obtain outright ownership at the end of the finance period.

The government has decided to encourage businesses to invest in infrastructure to support the country’s economic recovery and lead the movement towards lower polluting vehicles. If you understand super deduction you will not only benefit from tax relief, but many other advantages that can be gained by replacing an ageing fleet.

With a new fleet and new equipment, your fleet performance will improve with improved fuel consumption, reduced maintenance costs and less Co2 emissions. Reducing Co2 is something that all businesses need to look at as Clean Air Zones, Low Emission Zones and Ultra-Low Emissions Zones become more prominent. It is important that company vehicles can enter and navigate freely through these zones, so they do not lose out on business, or have to pay fines for driving in an area that has a charge. New vehicles will also be more reliable, so you are not having to waste time and money on breakdowns and hours in garages.

Company image is an area that is not hugely talked about, but new, up to date, low emission vehicles that are more sustainable will lead to an enhanced company image and help engage your drivers. With concerns for the environment at record highs (YouGov), sustainability is a large factor that people will consider when looking to employ someone or when recommending your service to friends and family.

It is clear to see that this new relief provides an opportunity for many businesses. The next two years will be very critical for all fleets, especially those who are looking to renew their equipment. Those willing to invest in super deduction could benefit from a large reduction in corporation tax as well as vast savings in the long term; even seeing benefits within a couple of months of new vehicles being used.

However great all the benefits sound it is important to be aware of all the criteria; for example, you cannot use the super deduction to buy used equipment, it must be brand new. Therefore we do recommend seeking professional help and guidance before you commit to high levels of expenditure, to ensure that the decisions you are making are beneficial to your business.

A walkaround check is more than a ‘tick-box’ exercise as it ensures your vehicle is fit for the road.

Increasingly at FleetCheck, we have been seeing evidence that drivers are treating essential walkaround checks on their company vehicles as a “tick box” exercise.

These inspections should be carried out on a daily basis ideally, and so it is perhaps inevitable that some degree of fatigue sets in. Drivers may just go through the motions rather than carry out a genuine inspection and do so for very human reasons – perhaps they are late to a meeting or the weather is poor.

However, it is the responsibility of employers to ensure that these checks are being done, especially if there is evidence that drivers’ attention is drifting over time.

A typical giveaway is if a vehicle is taken in for a service and a tyre tread depth is reported to be below the legal limit or the standard depth used for replacement on the fleet, even though the driver’s recent checks recorded them as OK. This is a very clear flag that the driver concerned isn’t taking their checks seriously or doesn’t understand how to carry them out properly. It is the kind of thing that may well be picked up by the authorities in the event of an accident and subsequent investigation.

How to solve the problem? A simple but effective measure is to make it a part of your company risk management policy to watch a driver conduct a check every year or six months, effectively auditing their walkaround skills.

For example, one of the issues we have identified is that, if you ask drivers to do a walkaround check, it is not uncommon to find that some don’t know how to open the bonnet and check essential fluid levels. Watching the employee in action is a good way of underlining the fact that you take this issue very seriously. Certainly, it is a simple way of addressing the fatigue that we are seeing on an anecdotal basis.

FleetCheck launched FleetCheck Driver walkaround check app for fleet vehicles in 2018 which creates the means to schedule, carry out, confirm, follow-up and audit all kinds of inspections for cars, HGVs, vans, buses and coaches from daily walkarounds to formal weekly or monthly checks.

 

Running a fleet – if not done properly – can be a legal minefield, and we can’t stress enough how vital it is that you understand what’s expected of you/your company/your drivers and that all know what to do in order to fulfil those obligations.

These days so much focus is channelled into reducing fleet costs – and quite rightly so.  For most companies the fleet features in the top 3 most costly assets, so cost control is vital.  However, in the absence of a robust framework of legal compliance, your money-saving efforts are worth nothing.  A single incident leading to prosecution could see your hard work come tumbling down around you.

It’s all about balance.  We actively encourage you to seek out cost-saving initiatives, but never at the expense of legal compliance.

The importance of compliance

It has been estimated that up to a third of all road traffic accidents involve somebody who was at work at the time.  This could account for over 20 fatalities and 250 serious injuries every week.

Every one of these results in a police investigation, and ultimately the police will be looking for the root cause of the accident.  In other words, in the event of one of your drivers being involved in an accident like this, the police will need to be satisfied that the driver was not at fault.  Otherwise, prosecution could follow. And consider this: that prosecution may not be to the driver, it could be you.

A company running a fleet has a duty of care towards its drivers and all other road users and a legal requirement to manage any risks involved in their working activities.  And if found in breach of these obligations, the company – and ultimately its directors – are at a very real risk of prosecution and, in extreme cases, imprisonment.

The elements of a compliant fleet

Becoming (and remaining) compliant when running a fleet can be broken down into four key areas: vehicle, driver, journey and management.

The vehicle
Every vehicle used on company business must be:

• Fit for the purpose for which is it being used
• Correctly maintained to a safe condition
• Regularly inspected for defects and damage
• Adequately equipped with properly fitted/maintained safety provisions

The driver
Staff members driving for your company (even occasionally) must be:

• Competent and capable of driving in a way that is safe for them and other people
• Hold the appropriate licence for the vehicle they drive and be properly trained
• Aware of the minimum standards of driving and vehicle use expected by the company
• Adequately fit and healthy to drive safely and not put themselves or others at risk

The journey
Journeys need structure in order to safeguard the drivers and minimise risk.

• Routes need to be planned in a way that maximises safety and helps drivers avoid hazards
• Work schedules must be realistic
• Expectations of the drivers in terms of their hours/rest breaks must be reasonable
• Consideration needs to be given in the event of adverse weather conditions

The management
This is the crucial framework that supports the above three elements, and is divided into four areas:

• Policy: your company ‘rules and regulations’ – documented, if you employ 5 or more people
• Responsibility: understanding of who does what
• Systems: the routines, tasks and documentation processes that need to be carried out
• Monitoring: the ongoing evaluation of all the above

Assessing your risk

Risk assessments for any work-related driving activity should follow the same principles as risk assessments for any other work activity.  Some would argue that driving-related risk assessments are even more essential than other workplace risk assessments, simply because of the magnitude of the risks involved on the road.

Risk assessments are a common cause of concern for many companies.  Often viewed as overly complex, time-consuming and even unnecessary, they are a ‘missing link’ in many organisations.  A worrying state of affairs, when you consider the sheer scale of risk associated with fleet management.

Risk assessments for fleet activity are clearly not unnecessary, but nor do they have to be overly complex or time-consuming.  With the right level of understanding and a common-sense approach, they can quite easily form a straightforward and routine part of your fleet management culture.  Think about it like this:

• A risk assessment could be defined as a careful look at what at-work activities can cause harm to people
• It helps you weigh up whether you have done enough (or need to do more) to prevent harm or injury
• It doesn’t have to be over-complicated or technical
• It helps you to collate your findings and make sure they’re reviewed and revised when necessary
• It should be carried out by a person who has competency and practical knowledge of the task in question
• For most smaller businesses, the hazards are easy to pinpoint
• The ultimate aim of risk assessments is to make the risk of at-work injury or fatality as low as possible

Achieving compliance

Helping companies to run fleets that are legally compliant is the mainstay of FleetCheck’s existence. We know that even in today’s culture of heightened legal awareness, most companies remain concerned to some degree about the strength of their risk management strategy.  Some lack the expertise and/or understanding, others simply run out of time to create and implement effective policies, and almost all are nervous about how they would respond should the worst happen and they were faced with an investigation following a road accident.

FleetCheck dramatically reduces the scale of these concerns, by giving companies a complete framework to underpin their legal responsibilities surrounding the fleet. Clearly FleetCheck cannot remove the burden completely – each company is ultimately responsible for their compliance – but the tools, processes and guidance provided by FleetCheck ensure you have everything you need to create, implement and maintain a robust fleet risk management system.

 

 

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Excel can be a great tool for tabular data or rudimentary forms, and there are occasions when it’s appropriate to use Excel as a simple database. Many of our clients have persevered with Excel, liking its simplicity, but sooner or later their requirements tend to outgrow Excel’s intended functionality and they come to the conclusion – often reluctantly – that it’s no longer a good fit for their business.

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Employees who drive their own cars for work pose a big safety risk.

Company vehicles are obvious targets for driver safety programs, but what about the estimated four million drivers who run errands for their employers, drive their own vehicle to meet with customers or sales appointments and part-time workers who use their own vehicles as subcontractors to larger commercial enterprises to install products or services?

The grey fleet represents one of the single most at-risk groups for businesses today. Why? First, grey fleets are often hidden within larger commercial enterprises, in which the focus is on driver performance for commercial or professional drivers.

Second, many businesses with grey fleets do not realize they actually have a grey fleet and are liable for on-the-job driver performance.

And finally, many businesses with grey fleets mistakenly think that an employee’s own insurance coverage will protect the company from on-the-job accidents.

However, just because an employee does not use a company-provided vehicle for a business journey does not absolve the company or the fleet manager from their duty of care responsibilities.

The law is clear – the company still has a legal duty of care to that employee, regardless of vehicle ownership, so the grey fleet needs to be managed in exactly the same way as company-owned or leased vehicles.

However, because grey fleet vehicles are not supplied by a company, there are unique problems a fleet manager faces in trying to manage the safety of those vehicles.

Driver licence checks still need to be carried out, observance of tyre and maintenance schedules still need to be checked. Questions such as does the vehicle have a valid MOT? Are its tyres above the legal tread limit? Does the driver have a valid licence? Is he/she fit to drive? Does the vehicle have business-use insurance? All need to be asked and the answers verified.

Organisations should also remember that anything they do for an employee using an owned or leased vehicle must also be offered to employees in the grey fleet.

For example, utilising FleetCheck to record vehicle checks, deliver online training courses, document driver performance and help to enforce policies gives employers the ability to keep on top of things.

At the end of the day, managing and monitoring driver performances also requires consistent communication and a commitment to enforcing stated company driving policies. When employees understand what is expected of them and those expectations are reinforced by employers both win.

Here is how the GDPR regulations could impact the day-to-day running of your fleet.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force in 2018 and is the primary law regulating how companies protect EU citizens’ personal data. However, many fleet managers and business owners are still a little unsure of how GDPR affects the day-to-day running of their businesses.

Here is an overview of the key points regarding how GDPR affects fleet management; in particular, how you can check you’re in full compliance.

Handling fleet data

The introduction of GDPR was a real eye-opener for a lot of businesses. Once you start mapping out where all of the data you collect comes from, you start to see there are a number of different information sources.

To be compliant, you need to be completely aware of where all the data your systems collect is coming from as well as how you’re securely storing that data.

It’s also your responsibility to check suppliers, clients, and other businesses you’re dealing with are also compliant. Along with establishing a secure path to send and receive data between yourself and other parties.

This also includes making sure you have consent for any personal data you’re collecting. Driver’s licences are a key part of this as discussed in the net point, as is collecting and handling data in employee files.

Checking driver licences

Under the GDPR rules, drivers must sign a consent form giving their employer permission to check their licence.

GDPR is designed to bring greater transparency between employers and employees. In particular, regarding when and what personal information is being requested and checked and this is a perfect example of how GDPR has had an impact on fleet managers.

You can download consent forms from the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency here.

Fleet management systems

If you’re still using spreadsheets and other manual processes, there’s a chance you’re not fully GDPR compliant – at the very least, you probably have areas within your business that can be exposed.

Using a robust and secure fleet management system is a sure way to be compliant. If you are thinking about moving over to a fully managed fleet management system, you can book a demo of our FleetCheck software here.

We also provide a free driver check and walk around app drivers can use to transfer information directly to our software for integration and secure storage.

General understanding of GDPR

If you’re unsure of what complying with GDPR means for specific areas of your business, you can read through the complete regulation here.

To get a better general understanding of why GDPR legislation was brought in and what it means to businesses and individual employees, you need to understand that it’s designed to implement greater transparency between all parties sharing information.

In the fleet industry, this means the collection of employee data, both personal and professional, vehicle data – information being passed between other businesses, online activities, and more.

You should always be able to inform all parties why you’re collecting data.  As well as what you’re doing with that data, where it’s stored, and who will have access to it.

Serious breaches of GDPR and other data protection laws carry some large fines. Making sure you’re compliant is a vital aspect of every fleet manager’s role. As is checking whether your telematics provider is also compliant.

 

Fleet managers play a vital role in any organisation with a fleet of vehicles. FleetCheck explains their role.

Fleet managers, also known as transportation managers, play a vital role in any organisation with a fleet of vehicles.

A well-managed fleet means logistics being carried out on time, savings being made, and company safety and compliance are met.

What does a fleet manager do?

Fleet managers are responsible for handling all facets of fleet activities within an organisation. This includes vehicle maintenance, managing drivers, negotiating with suppliers, and more.

Key responsibilities and duties of a fleet manager

Some of the key responsibilities of a fleet manager include:

Recordkeeping – mostly electronic recordkeeping, although there will likely be some physical copies of legal and vehicle documents involved.

Managing team members – a fleet manager is responsible for drivers and team members.

Negotiating with Suppliers – there are huge savings to be made for skilled negotiators and managers who build their network and relationships with clients.

Maintaining compliance – meeting compliance responsibilities improve driver safety by reducing the risk of accidents. As well as lower costs associated with accidents and potential fines.

Analysing data – analysing the data summarized by fleet management software is a core part of a fleet manager’s role. Modern software makes monitoring hundreds, even thousands of vehicles, very efficient.

Dealing with disputes – disputes, differences of opinion and managing conflicts all come under the banner of most management roles.

Fleet manager skills and competencies

Some of the desirable skills and competencies that help fleet managers perform their role to a high standard include:

IT and software skills – computer literacy is essential for the role of a fleet manager. While good fleet management software automates all the time-consuming day-to-day tasks, in most instances it’s only as good as the person operating it.

Attention to detail – the details are in the data. The software makes all the data available, being able to drill down with a keen eye for detail opens up the possibility to make huge cost savings. From spotting potential risks before they happen, areas where costs can be saved, and complying with legal requirements.

Staff management – the most challenging part of any manager’s job is managing staff. Depending on the size of the team, a fleet manager can easily be responsible for dozens, if not hundreds of drivers remotely. As well as some office-based admin staff.

Communication skills – good communication is vital for smooth operations within the fleet department. Being a skilled negotiator is a pro when dealing with suppliers, as are interpersonal skills.

Up-to-date vehicle knowledge – you may not be behind the wheel, but keeping your knowledge up-to-date regarding what’s under the bonnet gives you an advantage when authorizing repairs.

Accounting literacy – managing fleet costs and negotiating savings to keep in line with a budget is one aspect. Most fleet managers will also be responsible for their department’s profit and loss and balance sheet.

The importance of fleet management software

Fleet management software is an application that helps a fleet manager manage every facet of the organization’s fleet of vehicles.

The software provides several benefits that far extends what a fleet manager can do alone. As well as what was previously possible with paper records.

Some of the key benefits of fleet management software include:

• Saving on fuel and repair costs
• Gaining better control over drivers and vehicles
• Preventing delays by using real-time information
• Faster daily driver checks with electronic records
• Reducing maintenance costs
• Better communication with drivers and external suppliers
• Information to provide better training and awareness for drivers
• Better safety protection and awareness

Fleet management software stores all fleet-related information, giving the fleet manager the tools to generate reports and drill down on any aspect of their fleet. From tracking the path vehicles are taking, to finding ways to save costs on fuel usage and maintenance.

The real savings come from the time and employee hours being reduced by the software handling all those time-consuming day-to-day administration tasks. Allowing a fleet manager and his staff to spend time on more important areas of the business, such as sales and company growth.

If your employees spend a lot of time driving, it’s all too easy to fall into a comfortable place of driving while fatigued.

The problem is, no matter how in control your drivers may feel they are in, when they are not operating at their best, they are presenting a danger to both themselves and other road users.

According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, it is estimated that driver fatigue is responsible for as many as 20% of all road accidents. If you are aware that you have to combat fatigue, or you just want to increase road safety awareness for yourself and your employees; are here are some tips to help prevent fatigue when driving.

Common causes of driving fatigue

Here are some of the most common causes and solutions for driver fatigue:

Lack of sleep – there are few ways to compensate for the rest your body gets from a good night’s sleep. If you’re finding it difficult to put aside 8 hours for quality sleep, you need to make some lifestyle changes to accommodate it.

If you’re finding it difficult to sleep and feel rested, this is an issue you need to take up with your GP. Sleep issues affect one in three people in the UK; it’s a common problem with potentially serious implications if not addressed.

Medications – a lot of medications cause drowsiness and fatigue as a known side effect. Some people may also have this reaction, even if it’s not a listed side effect. Check any medications you’re taking or considering taking while driving. More often than not, it’s better to wait until you’re not behind the wheel.

Alcohol – avoiding alcohol the night before you drive and not drinking at all within a 24-hour period is advisable. Even a small amount of alcohol can cause drowsiness for some people. It can come on suddenly after feeling energised too, and combined with a poor night’s sleep is a recipe for tiredness.

Not taking breaks – if you’re driving for a living, you should make sure you’re aware of how many hours a day you can drive legally. You can find the latest UK laws and regulations for drivers’ hours on the Gov.uk site. If you’re driving for pleasure, then it comes down to the individual, but as a general rule, it’s not recommended you drive more than eight hours a day.

Symptoms of fatigue when driving

Here are some of the most common (and obvious) signs of fatigue:

• Heavy eyes and struggling to keep your eyes open
• Daydreaming and general lack of focus
• Realising your speed keeps fluctuating
• Feeling stiff, with aches, cramps, and pains
• Feeling irritated and impatient with other road users

How tiredness affects driving ability

Studies have shown that being awake for 18 hours can cause someone to drive with the same degree of impairment as if they have a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.05%. If you’ve been awake for 24 hours, the effects are the same as having a BAC of 0.10%. The legal BAC limit in the UK is 0.08%, so this gives you a clear indication of how dangerous sleeping while tired or fatigued is.

Driving while fatigued or overly tired can result in:

• Poor judgment, such as miscalculating stopping distances and making dangerous manoeuvres
• Reduced reaction time to hazards on the road
• General lack of awareness

What you should do if you’re fatigued and tired behind the wheel

If you find yourself struggling to focus, keep your eyes open, or feel compromised in any way you should stop driving as soon as it is safe to do so. Ideally, you’ll have someone else in the car with you and they can take over. If you’re alone, you either need to recharge your batteries with a quick nap or consume a stimulant such as caffeine.

Taking a nap is the best option by far. Pushing yourself with a couple of cups of coffee is only a very short-term solution when napping isn’t an option. Never try to push through without stopping and doing something to combat your fatigue. It only takes a split second to lose concentration and cause an accident.