Pro Installer March 2018 - Issue 60 | Page 43

Motoring
Read online at www. proinstaller. co. uk
MARCH 2018 | 43

Motoring

STRAINS ON UK VAN DRIVERS

Tired of the stresses and strains of a day spent behind the wheel? You’ re not alone.
Vans now account for a fifth of all traffic on urban streets and motorways, and that figure is expected to double by 2040. Drivers are spening longer behind the wheel and driving longer distances too – and it’ s taking its toll on the country’ s van drivers.
From aches and pains to stress and fatigue, a day in the life of the average van driver isn’ t always a smooth ride. That’ s why AXA wanted to make sure the UK’ s van drivers are aware of the problems that come from spending too long behind the wheel.
If you’ re tired of the stresses and strains of a day in the driver’ s seat, take a look at AXA’ s video series and find out how to manage some of the most common ailments and issues faced by the nation’ s van drivers.
Strain
Almost 50 % of UK drivers suffer from repetitive strain injury.
The average van covers 13,000 miles per year. That’ s the length of the entire UK almost 15 times. And all that travel is leading to high levels of repetitive strain injury among UK drivers. From foot cramp to eye strain and from lumbar pain to stiff necks, the UK’ s drivers are suffering the negative effects of incorrect driving posture combined with long journeys. AXA’ s video series offers five exercises you can do in your van, as a way of dealing with some of the aches and pains resulting from long periods cooped up behind the wheel.
Stress
20 % of UK van drivers reported feeling stress behind the wheel.
With more vans on the road than ever before, it’ s perhaps unsurprising that one in five van drivers reported feeling stress on our busy roads. What’ s even more worrying is that a massive 81 % of UK drivers have been the victim of road rage at some point while on the roads. Stress on the road has also been linked to adverse health effects such
as elevated blood pressure in the long term, so if you start to feel anxious behind the wheel, it’ s important to take a break to relax and calm yourself.
Apps like Headspace could help you de-stress after a long drive, or a quick cup of tea, some deep breaths and fresh air could do wonders for your mood.
Fatigue
40 % of sleep-related accidents involve commercial vehicles. In a recent stufy, AXA found 46 % of van drivers said they drive between three and six hours a day for work. And worryingly, although the law restricts a driving day to ten hours, 2 % of those surveyed admitted to regularly driving more than ten hours a day.
UK government guidelines only stipulate a 30-minute break after five and a half
hours behind the wheel for van drivers. However, try to take a 15-minute break every two hours on long journeys. Remember, the only real cure for sleepiness is a proper sleep, but for more tips on beating fatigue behind the wheel, visit AXA’ s website.
https:// www. axa. co. uk / insurance / business / business-guardian-angel / stresses-and-strains-ofa-van-driver /

INSTANT RESULTS BREATHALYSER

Driver being screened with an AlcoSaber breathalyser.
Alcohol safety and training specialist AlcoDigital, which works with dozens of companies across the UK addressing their alcohol and drug testing procedures and policies, has launched a new instant results easy-read breathalyser to the business market called the AlcoSaber.
The AlcoSaber(£ 295 + VAT each) is a simple to use, innovative breathalyser and the newest design concept in alcohol testing for companies looking to carry out quick and simple screening that delivers instant results.
The absence of a mouthpiece makes the AlcoSaber ideal for testing individuals in quick succession and provides a low maintenance, cost-effective solution for companies requiring a rapid and immediate screening process.
Not only is it ideal for rapid response testing of potential patrons at pubs and clubs, it can also be used by other businesses to check employees as they arrive at work. Those being tested by the AlcoSaber simply blow into the air hole on top and a LED light will clearly display a red for positive or green for negative in seconds. The AlcoSaber is the only breathalyser of this type to feature a digital display reading indicating the level of alcohol detected.
The AlcoSaber is available to purchase directly from AlcoDigital online at www. alcodigital. co. uk or call 020 8454 7372.