TACL: time to level up training for non-tacho drivers?

By Categories: Commercial NewsPublished On: Friday 25 October 2024

Nigel Kirkwood, technical director at TACL

Tachograph Analysis Consultants Limited (TACL) has highlighted the role that tachograph training plays in employers’ wider duty of care towards their drivers, and the need not to neglect the training of drivers who currently fall outside the scope of tachograph rules.

“The UK’s road network presents significant challenges for safety, especially for those driving as part of their work,” said Nigel Kirkwood, technical director at TACL.

“With an estimate of up to a third of all road traffic incidents involving driving for work, it is crucial employers take every advantage of safety technologies that support and improve training for their drivers.”

Nigel highlighted the duty of care of employers as laid out in health and safety legislation, which can apply both on-site and crucially, off-site and thus, on the road.

“’On the road’ can be a heavy goods or coach driver, a van driver or a car driver attending a meeting for business,” he continued.

“An employer can help ensure their employees are safe by providing the appropriate training.

“Tachographs have come a long way since their ‘spy in the cab’ days. The detailed information they record and store has been used in cases from the defence of alleged speeding to the correct identification of events following an incident and the recovery of stolen goods.

“Whilst they offer an invaluable and unbiased source of information contributing to defence or prosecution in incidents, day-to-day details of breaks from driving, overnight rest, speeds etc all ensure the regulatory framework of drivers’ hours and working time regulations are adhered to.

“Debriefing drivers with results of tachograph reviews, driver behaviour and telematics information can highlight areas for ongoing training. This helps meet the fundamental ‘duty of care’ requirement by contributing to an essential ‘on-the-road’ training regime.”

Nigel highlights the expansion of tachograph requirements from July 2026, when light commercial vehicles and vans over 2.5 tonnes involved in international logistics will come into scope.

“This will introduce a new group of drivers to the benefits of tachograph information – the tool recognised for providing road safety improvements and for building comprehensive training programmes.

“However, what of the UK’s non-tachographed light commercial vehicles, vans and cars – the so called ‘grey fleet’? This is a crucial ‘duty of care’ area estimated at 13m+, that does not benefit from advantages of the tachograph and its associated training.

“In committing to reducing the estimated third of road traffic incidents involving driving for work, is it time to apply the same rigorous standards tachographed drivers benefit from?”

Incorporating regular training of grey fleet drivers is a vital step in ensuring ‘duty of care’ responsibilities are met, Nigel contends.

“Fleet safety is more than compliance –  it includes creating a culture extending across all drivers. After all, employers have the same duty of care to drivers, whether behind the wheel of a tachographed vehicle or a personal car used for work…

“Now, more than ever, it is crucial to ask, for all drivers, are they equipped with the training needed to stay safe on the road; [and are] your duty of care responsibilities being met? When was the last time your non-tachographed vehicle drivers were trained?”

The importance of implementing and improving training regimes for non-tachographed vehicle drivers has never been greater, Nigel argues.

“Perhaps it is time the substantial training benefits from the tachographed world are extended to grey fleet drivers?

“By extending training to all drivers, businesses can start to meet duty of care responsibilities, ‘levelling up’ training provisions across the board.”

www.digital-tachograph.com