Drink Driving and What Are The Risks
When it comes to staying safe on the road, truck drivers must ensure that they remain alert and ready for any given situation making it important that they recognise the signs of fatigue and above all, ensure they stay below the drinking limit. The Lorry Lawyer advises that you stay away from alcohol before a long or even a short journey to protect you and those around you. Below are a few statistics that reflect the damage that drink driving causes not only to you but to others and a few ways you can stay safe on the road.
Drink Driving
On average, a shocking 3,000 people per year are either killed or acutely injured due to drink driving collisions on the road. - If you exceed the legal limit by as much as double, you are 50x more likely to cause or be involved in a serious road accident. - Drink driving is a serious criminal offence and can often lead to a hefty fine and imprisonment of up to 6 months and probable a 12 month driving ban. - If you are still unable to drive the next day or your driving proves to be unsuitable for the road, it is still illegal to drive especially if you are still over the legal limit. - In incidents where death is caused by you as the driver, you are likely to receive a maximum imprisonment of up to 14 years if you are under the influence of either drugs or alcohol.
Staying Safe
Alternative Transport
If you're staying overnight somewhere and you're off duty, of course you'll want to spend some time with your friends in a pub but the real danger comes down to your judgement of either driving under the influence or arranging alternative transport. In this case, the lorry lawyer strongly advises arranging someone to pick you up, checking out the times of public transport or even pre-booking a taxi to ensure that you stay off the road. If none of these options are possible, the solution is simple; drink safely and stay in your truck overnight to ensure that you are not over the limit the next morning. If you are, again it is recommended to look into one of the three options mentioned above to protect both yourself and those on the road around you.
Take Time To Sober Up
It is estimated that it takes on average between -1.5 hours for each unit of alcohol to leave your system and as one unit equates to at least half a pint of beer, you need to be careful and take time to sober up instead of relying on fable remedies to get you through the night.
Evaluate the Risks
If you suspect your driving will be impaired, evaluate the risks and think about the cost; is having a few pints really worth losing your job, facing imprisonment and a fine and potentially someone else or your own life?
What Can Employers Do?
As an employer, you may be thinking there's little you can do to protect the well-being of your drivers and others around them on the road however, you'd be wrong in saying that it's out of your hands. By installing a fleet tracking system into your vehicles, you can successfully monitor the journey and duration of your drivers, pick out any anomalies such as unauthorised routes and finally, keep a close eye on your workers driving patterns. Not only will this system work to keep your drivers safe, but it will also help you as the employer ensure maximum safety for everybody on the road. If you'd like to enquire about fleet tracking installation, please get in touch with Phantom today. We would be happy to take your call.