Mon 30 Jun 2008
Advanced Driving is available in most areas including
the cities and areas listed below:
Cleveland, Durham, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire
and in most major cities including;
Newcastle, Leeds, York, Darlington,Durham, Middlesbrough,
Redcar, Stockton-on-tees, Yarm…and many more,
If you want to buy a Driver Training Course and your
local area isn’t listed here please contact us.
Sun 29 Jun 2008
Don’t Smoke, Drink or Talk and drive…
By Malcolm Stephenson
A19Fleet.co.uk
We are all influenced by “Big Brother” Watching us in all that we do
But when it comes down to common sense, why do experienced
drivers crash?
When we think about it with the benefit of hindsight…
“It doesn’t bear thinking about!”
Distraction is a big killer on the roads all around the world!
Truth be told it’s just too distracting to talk on a mobile phone while driving,
and though a hands-free device may help you keep both hands on the wheel,
it does nothing to help keep your mind on traffic rather than on your call.
“Driving at Work” I’m a Risk Manager & Consultant Personal Driver Trainer
Can I offer some Free Advice?
• Tip No. 1: The sight and sound of a ringing phone is to tempting, and you
risk picking it up and talking. So make sure you can’t see or hear it.
That means turning it off. Why?
Because, some blue-chip corporate company’s have a zero tolerance
and will say… “Engine ON…Phone OFF”
• Tip No. 2: Give your conscience a dose of “what-if” a guilt trip if you will,
even if you’ve had no trouble talking and driving in the past.
Say to yourself…”I don’t know if I could live with myself if I caused injury or,
worse yet, someone’s death because I was distracted talking on the phone.”
Not nice…is it!
We’ve all seen the Stupid Driving by People using mobile phones.
· Running Red Stop lights and Signs
· Not driving away when a light turns green
· Only going 40 mph when traffic is moving at 70 mph
· Changing lanes without looking
· Not driving away when expected to on roundabouts
Hands-free devices will help a little, but there’s no doubt just answering
or worse, Texting and Dialling a phone number is going to continue to distract
plenty of so called experienced drivers.
Plenty of reformed mobile phone user “Think about It” after rear-ending
a driver while answering or making that “Business Critical Call” on the company
business issued phone!
Fortunately, no one was injured…But…You might have said,
“But my car was a mess and I felt pretty stupid.”
Talking on the mobile phone is like driving blind.
• Tip No. 3: Duh . . . give the phone to a passenger.
We all know some customers and company colleague’s who call, and call and call again.
“So give the phone to a passenger to answer it for you”.
Sometimes they will be familiar enough with the call that they can answer the question.
“Sometimes you could pull over in a safe place and stop the engine, so you can answer
the question for yourself. But please stop talking on the mobile phone while driving.”
A survey of hands-free car kit users shows 55 % of motorists say mobile phone used
while driving is very dangerous yet 63% admit to yakking behind the wheel – for an
average of an hour a day, and primarily for non-urgent matters.
· What’s for dinner tonight?
· Who is picking up the kids?
· Traffic is bad and I’ll be late!
· Hello, how are you doing?
So . . .
I like to think that my conscious decision to not use a phone has made me more
aware of the challenges on our country roads, motorways, town’s and city streets.
Are my pals at the “Institute of Advanced Motorists” and I shouting at windmills?
We’re a minority, I know that.
I also know there are a lot of folks who work in on-call positions, and need to answer
their phone when it rings, no matter what they’re doing.
That’s Life!
By pulling off the road, to answer client calls. Must be Good Practice.
But, of course, there are even better recommendations: Ask me about…
“Think Out Loud!”
“This may sound strange coming from a guy who is Driving Traffic For Living,
but I believe that’s the best practice advice.”
******************************************
Contact Malcolm Stephenson DSA ADI Fleet at:
malcolm@a19fleet.co.uk
And you can call The London Office:
+44 (0)2030 111 462.
Thu 26 Jun 2008
”Hypermiling”, which is gaining momentum in America…
So “Obviously” we tried to copy it here in the UK.
We need to do Somthing… Fast!
With hypermiling, you can get say 55mpg out of a car in which
you used to do 35mpg. (That’s Cool)
Yes, the journey to work takes slightly longer but over a full year
we could save lots of money !
For me, my journey takes an extra ten minutes, so what!
But I save lot’s in fuel. Say 30% year on year!
Hypermiling is a set of methods to get more mileage out of your vehicle .
One part of it is… Preparing your car, like removing any tool-box, golf bags
and roof racks because that increases air resistance.
Think about your fuel tank, because a full tank weighs around 80kg, which is
almost the same as having another passenger. You can also save by parking
your car in such a way that you don’t have to do a three-point manoeuvre when
you go out in the mornings when your car is cold and thirsty.
Desperate Measures for Desperate times.
Malcolm Stephenson
DSA ADI Fleet
Feel Free to post a comment.
Sun 22 Jun 2008
The Hybrid Traffic
of the Internet…
“Use Video Conferencing to Reduce CO2”
· The Sustainable Development Commission (SDC)
· The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR)
· And the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
All have published reports that said the technology is
vital to reducing business travel.
In summing up the report from the IPPR and SDC,
the government is asked to
· “Reduce business travel…by speeding the uptake of
technology alternatives such as telepresence” -
another term for VideoConferencing.
“For the first time, virtual meetings are a real time
alternative to travelling for many types of meeting,
from board meetings to project team building
and updates, where the individuals already know
each other and working relationships are well
established.”
An example cited in the report was of a
financial company that avoided approximately
200 transatlantic flights and 60 European
flights by using such a system for 158 meetings,
saving nearly £1.8m and 450 tonnes of
C02 emissions in the process.
The WWF report said two thirds of FTSE 350 companies
were in favour of proposals for the government to
introduce an Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme
for organisations investing in telepresence technology.
Yes just another term for VideoConferencing.
Link to report :Click Here!
>>> Special Message <<<
From Global Leader Malcolm Stephenson from the UK
“With MyVideoTalk we are Bringing the World Closer Together!”
MyVideoWebMeeting helps save CO2, while helping to save time
and save money.
An Amazing Product to Reduce Your
Carbon Footprints!
With Many Global Markets Hit Hard!
The cost of gasoline in the US has nearly hit $5 U.S. a gallon
and the price of jet fuel is skyrocketing as well.
In Europe it is so much higher than that.
(£130.9p Per Litre at the time of writing this)
“You Do The Math”
This puts any small & medium business alongside large
companies today in a very vulnerable position.
The cost to do business today is growing at such an alarming rate.
Can you believe it…
There is a company out there that can save
business owners and companies all around the globe
from this fiasco?
That company is MyVideoTalk, a global leader in video
streaming technology for the Internet.
MyVideoTalk offers live video WebConferencing
via the Internet.
100% secure private WebConference rooms that are available
to you & me 24/7 and cost less than a us gallon of gas per day!
The Hybrid Traffic of the Internet
(No gas required!).
Tue 10 Jun 2008
Untrained company car drivers are causing thousands of breakdowns
a year because they are failing to carry out basic vehicle maintenance
and are not fully briefed on the vehicle they are driving!
Most could be avoided if drivers conducted simple maintenance checks
and undertook driver development training.
One of the top call outs is for punctures, although this has more to do with
health and safety policies than poor driver education.
As Malcolm Stephenson, Consultant Risk Manager for IAM Fleet, explained.
“The days of anyone driving at work on company business trying to change
a tyre at the road side are over, it’s part of any driving health and safety policy
that a breakdown service must be called to repair a puncture.”
As well as education regarding their vehicles, fleet managers must continue
to ensure their drivers improve their road craft & driving skills.
Data reveilles fleet drivers are twice as likely to be involved in a collision as a
private motorist.
“If all fleet drivers adhered to rules of the road, took adequate breaks to avoid
fatigue, considered undergoing training to improve personal driving skills,
the number of fleet call outs to a collision could be reduced by as much as 50%.”
Top 10 Fleet (Emergency Service & Recovery ) Call Outs !
1 Road traffic collision (High & Low Speed Manoeuvring)
2 Puncture – Blow Out or NO Serviceable Spare
3 Battery flat – external lights Left ON
4 Lockout – key in seating area or boot self-locking trunk
5 Fuel contaminated
6 Sensors – coolant temperature
7 Engine – NO Oil
8 ECU – engine management (combined)
9 Battery flat – Interior Lights – Mobile Communication Devices Chargers
10 Starter motor
Malcolm Stephenson
Have your say, leave a comment.