What your company drivers MUST know about road safety

Transport Minister Dipuo Peters has announced that 1,376 people were killed on South Africa's roads during the festive season.

According to eNCA, Peters told reporters in Pretoria that 1,376 people were killed in 1,147 crashes between December 1 and January 7.

If you employ company drivers this could have easily been one of your employees.

That's why you need to make road safety a priority in your workplace.

Make sure your company drivers know the following about road safety

There are six parts to safety on the roads: These are:

1. The vehicle. You must always ensure that your company's vehicles are in a roadworthy condition. Tell your drivers to let you know if company cars need to be fixed or if there's something wrong.
2. Obeying the rules of the road. You can follow your driver at various intervals and watch how he drives and obeys road traffic signs. You can then write a report on what you've observed and discuss problems with him.
3. Being alert on the road.
4. Road conditions. Advanced driver training will assist your worker when driving in certain conditions, like on a gravel road.
5. Weather conditions. 'Dawn and dusk are the most dangerous times of the day on the road. At these times the sun shines at an angle and can create a situation where you can't see in front of you,' says the Health & Safety Advisor. So teach drivers to reduce speed in these conditions.
6. Other drivers and pedestrians. Tell your drivers to always lookout for other drivers, pedestrians and cyclists as they're unpredictable.

Remember that South Africa has one of the highest motor vehicle accident (MVA) rates in the world. So ensure your company drivers know everything there is about road safety.

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