World Cup woes for business drivers

The World Cup is set to be a time of frenzied excitement and national pride, with pubs bursting at the seams and houses transformed into fan zones. But there is another, unexpected group of people who must keep their eyes on the ball: van drivers.

Whether delivering, moving equipment, or motoring between jobs, van drivers spend a lot of time on the road, often late at night, and crucially use it as their workplace, not just a means of getting from A to B.

During significant sporting events, this very public workplace suddenly becomes more dangerous.

Drink driving and football: A tale as old as time

The principal road safety issue associated with a sporting match is the widespread increase in alcohol consumption.

World Cup gatherings frequently centre around drinking, and whilst the vast majority of fans act responsibly, a persistent and reckless minority choose to place themselves behind the wheel after partaking.

This could not come at a worse time when it comes to the state of drink driving in the UK. Figures from the Department for Transport (DFT) show that around 300 people die a year from collisions where alcohol was a principal factor, and this number has been steadily on the rise for the past decade.

Drink driving deaths account for around a fifth of all road fatalities, and injure a further 1,600 people a year, often very seriously.

When major matches take place there is a surge in travel to and from locations which serve alcohol. Given certain members of the UK public’s attitude to drink driving, it can only be expected that some of these journeys will be made whilst inebriated.

For van drivers, who may spend more than eight hours a day on the road, this creates a serious occupational hazard.

Eyes on the road, not the score

Technology creates a new challenge during major events: the temptation to stay up to date. Previously, people would have to wait until they arrived at their destination to find out the latest score, whereas now they can keep up to date with every goal, substitution, and penalty in real time, and even be notified when something of note is about to happen.

This temptation proves too much for many, and they end up on their phone behind the wheel. The dangers of this cannot be overstated.

Reaction times whilst texting are up to twice as slow as whilst drunk, with casualties caused by phone-distracted drivers up 24%.

It doesn’t matter whether someone is checking the score, reading their fantasy football stats, or rewatching the highlights.

The outcome is the same. Attention is off the road and onto the screen. For those operating larger vehicles, often in busy urban environments, a distracted motorist can have terrible consequences.

Even a brief glance at a phone is enough to not spot slowing traffic, a cyclist, or a van on a collision course.

Unpredictability

Excitement and frustration can also affect decision making on the roads. People rushing to make it home before kick-off may speed and take needless risks, whilst others might be distracted listening to match commentary or engaged in heated discussion with passengers.

Research from the AA finds that in-vehicle distractions frequently take drivers’ attention off the road, with many admitting than conversations affect their ability to concentrate.

There is also the issue of sudden traffic surges before and after games. Roads near pubs and sporting venues can become congested, whilst celebrations after victories can create unpredictable obstacles for those simply trying to do their jobs.

These celebrations can sometimes spill out onto roads and pavements, drivers may find pedestrians crossing unexpectedly and without looking alongside unusual traffic patterns and chaotic groups of people.

The roads are a workplace

It’s important to keep in mind that for van drivers, road safety means life or death at work. Tradespeople, delivery drivers, and couriers rely on our roads to earn their living facing tight schedules, long hours, and demanding traffic conditions.

When drink driving, phones, and emotionally driven behaviour are thrown into the mix, these risks are suddenly amplified making the workplace unacceptably risky.

The majority of football fans will, of course, behave responsibly and not put others in danger. However, it only takes a small number of people making bad choices to create serious, or even deadly, consequences for others.

The key takeaway is simple: everything but safety can wait. No goal, corner, or free kick is more important than someone getting home safely at the end of their working day.

John Kushnick is legal director at National Accident Helpline