For Fleet Managers, ensuring that drivers are properly prepared, hydrated, and compliant with both safety protocols and legal requirements is essential to reducing risk and maintaining duty of care.
Here’s what Fleet Managers need to know to help their drivers stay safe, compliant, and on the road this summer.
- Appropriate Footwear: A Hidden Safety Risk
As temperatures rise, it’s common to see drivers opting for flip-flops, sandals, or even barefoot driving. However, the Highway Code (specifically Rule 97) states that before setting off, a driver must ensure they are “wearing clothing and footwear that do not prevent you using the controls in the correct manner.”
Inappropriate footwear can:
- Slip off pedals during emergency braking.
- Limit control when operating clutch, brake, or accelerator.
- Increase stopping distance in critical situations.
Fleet Manager Tip: Include checks on appropriate footwear as part of your daily driver briefings during summer months. Consider issuing company guidance or visual posters that outline what’s safe and what’s not.
- Heat-Induced Fatigue and Driver Alertness
Heat can lead to drowsiness, especially during long drives. Data suggests fatigue is a factor in 1 in 5 motorway incidents. As a Fleet Manager, fatigue management should be high on your safety checklist.
Help drivers stay alert:
- Encourage adequate rest before long shifts.
- Consider mandating breaks every two hours, even on short-haul routes.
- Remind drivers to pull over in a safe location if they begin to feel tired – not on the hard shoulder unless it’s an emergency.
- Vehicle Checks Specific to Hot Weather
Maintaining vehicle roadworthiness is a legal obligation, and it becomes even more important during summer when mechanical stress is higher.
Key summer vehicle checks:
- Coolant and oil levels: Prevent engine overheating by ensuring fluids are topped up.
- Tyre tread and pressure: Heat increases the risk of tyre blowouts. Ensure all tyres meet the minimum legal tread depth and are inflated correctly. Switch out winter tyres where applicable.
- Air conditioning systems: A working A/C isn’t just comfort—it’s safety. It prevents heat exhaustion and helps drivers maintain concentration.
Fleet Manager Tip: DAVIS vehicle inspection questions can be altered during the summer months to highlight these checks
- Sun Glare and Visibility
Sun glare is a serious yet underestimated hazard. It can obscure traffic lights, signs, and vehicles, particularly during early morning and late afternoon.
Reduce the risk:
- Promote the use of sunglasses that meet driving safety standards.
- Ensure windscreen cleanliness, as dust and smears can worsen glare.
- Encourage the use of visors and dashboard shades when parked.
- Keep Vehicles and Drivers Cool
The interior of a parked vehicle can reach dangerous temperatures in minutes.
Safety reminders:
- Never leave pets or passengers in parked vehicles, even for a few minutes.
- Remove or store heat-sensitive devices (phones, tablets, power banks) away from direct sunlight.
- Encourage drivers to carry bottled water, especially for longer routes or urban deliveries where congestion is likely.
- Emergency Preparedness in High Heat
Breakdowns can be especially dangerous during a heatwave. A stranded driver without shade or hydration could face serious health risks.
Ensure every fleet vehicle has:
- Bottled water
- Reflective vests
- Windscreen shades
- Emergency contact details – these can be stored in the DAVIS Driver App.
Final Thoughts
The summer season shouldn’t mean a compromise on safety. With simple preventative measures, ongoing education, and a focus on driver wellbeing, Fleet Managers can ensure their teams operate safely – even in soaring temperatures.
Stay safe. Stay compliant. Keep your fleet moving.
