What to do in the event of an accident? Your INSHUR Driver Safety Checklists.
A year has now passed since the first national coronavirus lockdown. For private hire drivers, this has meant a year of COVID-related driver safety checks; doing everything you can to protect both yourself and your riders.
But, whilst triple-checking the whereabouts of your face mask and hand-sanitiser, it’s easy to jump straight behind the wheel and drive onto the road without carrying out a car-safety check before you go. And, this could mean you’re at a higher risk of having an accident.
We’ve put together a handy ‘Before-You-Go’ and a ‘Post-Accident’ driver safety checklist for your quick reference. Scroll down to find out more.
Your Before-You-Go Checklist
Before starting work for the day, we recommend using our six-step checklist below to reduce the risk of an accident and ensure a safe ride for you, your riders, and your vehicle.
- Adjust your seat, along with the rear and side-view mirrors, to ensure you can clearly see in all directions
- Check your headlights are working properly
- Check your tyre pressure and condition
- If you have one, turn on the dash camera
- Make sure that you’re carrying your private hire badge and personal driving license
- Ensure that your view of the road is not obstructed in any way
TOP TIP – Save this page to your phone for easy access to these driver safety checklists.
Your Post-Accident Checklist
As reported by the Department for Transport, COVID-19 lockdowns have significantly reduced motor traffic, accidents, and casualties – not overly surprising. But, the size of the reduction of accidents and casualties varied by type of road user.
Did you know? Referred to as vulnerable road users, motorcyclists and pedal cyclists are reported to have had the smallest reduction of all accidents and (fatal) casualties. Crashes with motorcycles and pedal cycles most frequently occur…
- When failing to look properly. This is the most common factor contributing to vehicles involved in accidents with motorcyclists.
- At T-junctions. This is the most common place for accidents with motorcyclists when drivers fail to give way or stop.
Although there has been an overall reduction in accidents and therefore claims, the cost per claim has increased due to higher speed incidents like these. So drivers, remember to be especially vigilant around motorcyclists!
Unfortunately, though, accidents do happen. So it’s really important to be prepared in the event of it happening to you. At the scene of an accident, INSHUR customers must use the following checklist to report the incident:
- You must tell us about any potential claim within 24 hours of it occurring. If you fail to do so, you may have to pay an additional excess of £500.
- You must take photographs of any damage to the vehicles involved.
- If your claim is due to theft, attempted theft, malicious damage or vandalism, you must also notify the police and obtain a crime reference number.
To report an accident, fire, theft, or windscreen claim (if applicable), you must call 0808 169 9165. The helpline is open 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. Our expert staff will take down the details, and help to get you back on the road as soon as possible.
TOP TIP – Save these numbers to your smartphone so they’re handy in the event of an accident.
Please check the INSHUR Taxi Policy Wording or INSHUR PRO Policy Wording for full information.
Sources:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56491532
https://www.true.co.uk/news/most-common-causes-of-motorcycle-accidents/
