Five common driver knowledge gaps that increase fleet risk

Vehicle checks, licence verification and telematics all have an important role to play in managing occupational road risk. However, one of the most significant contributors to collisions is often overlooked: gaps in driver knowledge.

Driving remains the most dangerous work activity that many employees undertake, and employers have a legal responsibility to manage road risk in the same way as any other workplace hazard. Effective risk management requires more than policies and procedures - it also requires drivers to understand the risks they face and the behaviours that help keep themselves and others safe.

The challenge for many organisations is that while drivers often believe experience equates to expertise, even highly experienced drivers can develop bad habits, overlook changes in road legislation or underestimate emerging risks. Driver training has become an increasingly valuable tool, helping organisations address knowledge gaps efficiently and consistently across their fleet.

Here are five common areas where a lack of driver knowledge can increase risk and why targeted learning can make a real difference.

1. Speed awareness: Understanding that safe speed isn't just about the limit

Driving or riding for work at an inappropriate speed remains one of the most significant risks faced by employees and other road users. This does not only mean exceeding the speed limit, but it can also mean travelling within the legal limit but too fast for the prevailing conditions, such as on narrow rural roads, in poor weather, in reduced visibility or in areas with high levels of pedestrian activity.

As speed increases, drivers have less time to recognise hazards and react to them. Stopping distances become longer and, when collisions do occur, the consequences are often far more severe. Higher speeds can also amplify the effects of other risky behaviours, including tailgating, distraction and fatigue, making a crash more likely.

For drivers who spend much of their working day on the road, time pressures can create additional challenges. Tight schedules, delivery targets and back-to-back appointments may encourage drivers to rush, particularly on familiar routes where complacency can develop.

Many fleet drivers also remain unaware that certain vehicle types may be subject to different speed limits from passenger cars. Without regular refresher training, these misunderstandings can persist for years.

Training can help reinforce the relationship between speed, stopping distances and collision severity. It can also challenge the belief that arriving a few minutes earlier justifies taking additional risks. By improving understanding of speed management, organisations can help drivers make safer decisions long before a collision occurs.

2. Distractions: Recognising risks beyond mobile phones

When discussing distracted driving, mobile phone use tends to dominate the conversation. While phones remain a significant risk factor, distractions extend far beyond sending messages or making calls.

Drivers can become distracted by sat-nav systems, in-vehicle technology, eating and drinking, conversations with passengers and even work-related thoughts. Mental distraction can be particularly dangerous because drivers may believe they are fully engaged when their attention is actually divided. Research consistently shows that taking attention away from the driving task reduces awareness, delays reaction times and increases the likelihood of errors.

Modern working practices can make this issue more challenging. Many employees feel pressure to remain constantly available, responding to calls, emails and messages throughout the day.

Driver training can enable organisations to address these behaviours directly. Through real-world examples and interactive learning, drivers can better understand how distraction develops and learn practical strategies for managing communications safely while driving for work.

3. Fatigue: The risk drivers often underestimate

Few workplace driving hazards are as widely misunderstood as fatigue. Unlike speeding or mobile phone use, fatigue leaves no obvious external signs. Many drivers believe they can recognise the point at which tiredness becomes dangerous, yet evidence suggests otherwise.

Fatigue affects concentration, alertness, reaction time and decision-making. Long journeys, shift work, inadequate sleep, demanding schedules and certain medications can all increase risk.

Frequent yawning, wandering thoughts, difficulty maintaining speed or position within a lane and missing road signs are often dismissed as minor issues rather than indicators of serious fatigue.

Training can help employees identify these warning signs earlier and understand the importance of journey planning, rest breaks and sleep management. This knowledge enables drivers to make safer choices before fatigue reaches a dangerous level.

4. Vulnerable road users: Adapting to a changing road environment

The UK's roads are becoming increasingly diverse. Pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, horse riders and users of micromobility devices such as e-scooters and e-bikes all share road space with fleet vehicles. As a result, drivers need a deeper understanding of vulnerable road users and the challenges they face.

Many collisions occur not because drivers intentionally take risks but because they fail to anticipate the actions of those around them. Pedestrians may step into the road unexpectedly, cyclists may need to move into the traffic stream to avoid hazards and motorcyclists can be difficult to spot, particularly at junctions.

The Highway Code's hierarchy of road users, introduced in 2022, places greater emphasis on protecting those most vulnerable to injury, such as pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders. While all road users have a responsibility to behave safely and follow the rules of the road, those driving larger, heavier vehicles are expected to take greater care because they have the potential to cause more serious harm in a collision. The changes do not automatically assign blame but they do encourage drivers to be more aware of and considerate towards vulnerable road users. The updated guidance also gives pedestrians greater priority at junctions and requires drivers turning into or out of junctions to give way to pedestrians crossing and cyclists travelling straight ahead, helping to create safer roads for everyone.

RoSPA encourages all road users to be familiar with the Highway Code and understand their shared responsibilities within increasingly complex road environments. For organisations operating fleets in urban areas, this knowledge is particularly important. Drivers who understand how vulnerable road users behave are better equipped to anticipate risks and avoid conflicts.

Driver training can provide an effective way to refresh awareness of current guidance, reinforce safe passing practices and promote greater empathy towards those who are most at risk on the roads.

5. Hazard perception: Developing the ability to see risk sooner

Hazard perception is perhaps the most important skill a driver can possess, yet it is often one of the least regularly refreshed.

Many drivers assume that because they passed the hazard perception element of their driving test years ago, their ability to identify risks has remained unchanged. In reality, hazard perception is a skill that requires continual practice and reinforcement.

Human factors such as inattention, poor observation and errors in judgement contribute significantly to workplace road collisions. Good hazard perception involves recognising developing situations before they become immediate dangers. This may include spotting a child approaching a crossing, identifying a vehicle that may emerge from a side road or recognising changing road conditions that require a reduction in speed.

Drivers who spend long periods on familiar routes can become particularly vulnerable to complacency. Familiarity may reduce active observation, making it harder to recognise new or unexpected hazards. Training can help sharpen these skills, encouraging drivers to remain vigilant and proactive rather than simply reacting when problems occur.

Bridging the knowledge gap

Managing occupational road risk is about much more than compliance. It is about creating a culture in which drivers have the knowledge, confidence and awareness to make safer decisions every day.

By addressing common gaps in speed awareness, distraction management, fatigue recognition, vulnerable road user awareness and hazard perception, organisations can reduce risk across their fleet while supporting the wellbeing of their employees and other road users. Driver training provides a practical, accessible way to achieve this, helping drivers refresh critical knowledge, challenge unsafe assumptions and develop safer habits that last long after the training has been completed.

For more guidance, visit: www.rospa.com/road-safety

RoSPA’s Driver Profiler is an online driver risk assessment tool designed to identify attitudes, behaviours and knowledge that can influence collision risk. Developed through research conducted by two leading UK universities and supported by RoSPA's long-standing expertise in accident prevention and road safety, the assessment provides practical guidance and recommendations that can support safer driving behaviours and encourage positive long-term change.