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There are so many things that are important to those who work in the haulage industry. You want to get along with your boss, you’d like a comfortable and well-equipped lorry and, of course, you’d like good hours and good pay. However, perhaps the most important thing to anyone who’s made a career out of transportation is road safety. This applies not only to your own habits but also the habits of others – after all, both the positive and negative actions of all the other drivers around you have an effect. Distractions on the Road While many think that drink driving is the most dangerous thing anyone can do on the road, a more common but just as deadly phenomenon is distracted driving, or driving without giving the road your full attention. The causes of this can include using your mobile phone to text or make a call, changing the radio station, reaching into the backseat to grab something, eating at the wheel, focusing your attention on an accident or something else happening outside… in fact, essentially anything that causes you to take your eyes off the road and/or direct your attention elsewhere, even if it’s just for a moment. Yet despite knowing that staying safe and alert is important, it can be easy to slip into distracted driving, especially if you’re at the wheel so often it’s become second nature to you. After all, you’re more than comfortable with it, you know you’re a good driver and nothing bad has happened so far. But getting complacent is where the problem can lie. To counteract this, Brake has partnered with SmartDrive Systems and together they have released a new interactive driver distraction tool designed specifically for fleet professionals. Not only is it educational and informative, it’s also fun! Destroying Distraction Brake’s recent collaboration with SmartDrive has produced an interactive game to raise awareness to and decrease driver distraction in the haulage industry. The premise is as follows: users go on a virtual drive where they must keep a sharp eye out for the many distractions that real life hauliers (such as themselves) are exposed to every single day. As the game progresses, various risks are highlighted, guidance and advice is given and the player learns what they can do to reduce any negative effects should a sticky situation arise. This informative game is great for both managers and employees who work in haulage. Those in supervisory positions are able to provide an interactive teaching tool that will keep participants engaged as they are given a refresher course on road safety, while workers learn how to identify, deal with and decrease the potential hazards. This fun, functional and proactive solution will help haulage drivers become more aware of the potential challenges that can take their attention off the road, know how to handle those situations, promote positive driving behaviour and, all in all, make the roads safer for everyone. Author Plate Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry. Connecting professionals across the UK and Europe through their website, Haulage Exchange provides services for matching haulage companies or self-employed drivers with jobs in road transport and haulage work. Over 5,400 member companies are networked together through the Exchange to fill empty capacity, get new clients and form long-lasting business relationships.
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