Driver newsletter

JULY 2013
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We care
about what
you think
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A HOLE LOT
OF DAMAGE
Driver
newsletter
Top reasons
to take tyres seriously
Click here
More news…
Are you aware of MOT changes? Click here
Free resources to keep you safe Click here
Hot News Click here
Click here
arval.co.uk
WE CARE ABOUT
WHAT YOU THINK
When a driver contacts us, we often ask them what they thought of the
service. This is because we take driver feedback really seriously. It allows
us to continually improve, to develop our team and to quickly fix any issues
that we identify.
Whether your new vehicle has just been delivered, you have broken down,
your car has just been serviced or your tyres replaced, we will ask you to
spend a couple of minutes telling us what you thought of the service that we
provided. We then analyse all of this information and act upon it.
Here are some of the latest results from our driver satisfaction surveys:
99%
of drivers are satisfied
with how quickly we
answer the phone
98%
of drivers are satisfied
with the communications
that we send to them
Arval Driver Newsletter JULY 2013
98%
of drivers are satisfied
with how we handle
their call
85%
of drivers think that our
breakdown service is
exceptional
If you have any feedback
on any aspect of the
service that we provide,
please do get in touch.
You can do so by emailing
us at driversurveys@
arval.co.uk
2
TYRE FACTS
10
In 2012, ATS Euromaster replaced over 100,000 tyres
on Arval customer vehicles. Of these:
12 % were carried out by mobile service technicians
at customer’s homes or places of work
52% tyres were changed due to normal wear and tear
7% tyres had to be changed due to irreparable
damage
5% were below the legal tread depth limit on
removal
reasons to take
tyres seriously
Every car and van has a huge dependency on four hand-sized areas of rubber connecting it to the road’s surface. Despite
the crucial role that tyres play in vehicle efficiency and road safety, they are sometimes overlooked compared with other
aspects of vehicle maintenance.
Mike Scott, National Account Manager at ATS Euromaster works closely with Arval on tyre policy matters. He explains: “Tyres
play such a critical role in a fleet’s safety and performance they deserve to be looked after by experts. That’s why Arval has
worked closely with ATS Euromaster to fit replacement tyres for many years.”
Mike’s 10 top reasons to take tyres seriously:
1 Stay legal
Get caught behind the wheel with illegal tyres and you
will face three penalty points and a fine of up to £2,500
per tyre (regardless of whether you own the vehicle). A
car or van tyre must have a minimum of 1.6mm of tread
depth across the central three-quarters of its width, and
around the entire circumference.
2 Save fuel
Tyres which are under-inflated by 20% will increase fuel
consumption by around 3%. This can equate to a significant
cost over time, especially given current fuel prices.
3 Keep safe
Many road traffic accidents are caused as a result of
tyres in poor physical condition. Check your tyres at
least once a month and if in doubt, Arval drivers can
call into any ATS Euromaster centre for a free tyre safety
inspection.
4 Maintain grip
A tyre’s tread pattern helps to clear water from its
contact patch on a wet road. As the tread depth wears
down, it loses the ability to remove all of the water
from the road surface, significantly increasing the risk of
aquaplaning.
5 All stop
Low tread depths will reduce the braking capability of a
vehicle, resulting in longer stopping distances. This risk
is magnified with a fully laden car or van, which will
have greater momentum and is therefore even harder to
stop safely.
6 Under pressure
Tyres work much harder if they are incorrectly inflated.
Arval Driver Newsletter JULY 2013
It is estimated that 20% under-inflation (around 6 psi in
many cases) can reduce tyre life by 20%, increasing vehicle
running costs and vehicle downtime. Remember, most cars
have 2 recommended pressure settings depending upon the
vehicle load. If you are travelling with a full complement of
passengers and luggage, adjust your pressures accordingly.
7 Reduce the risk of punctures
Tyre damage can be avoided by being careful where
you park. Never park near a skip, where sharp debris is
often spilled and take extra care on industrial estates.
Similarly, broken glass has a tendency to collect close
to the kerb on busy residential streets, where sweepers
clean infrequently due to parked cars.
8 Mind the kerb
Be aware of the risk of kerbing your tyres when turning at
a junction and leave a sufficient gap between the tyre and
the kerb when parking. Kerbing causes premature wear to
the sidewall at the tyre’s weakest point. ATS Euromaster’s
analysis of 100,000 lease vehicles showed sidewall damage
accounted for 27% of premature tyre replacement.
9 All torque
When you change tyres, getting the correct wheel nut
torque is essential. If the wheel nuts are too tight you
could crack the rims or break the studs. Too loose and
you run the risk of wheel loss. ATS Euromaster adjusts
torque settings to manufacturer’s recommendations.
10The right fit
Don’t scrimp on tyres. As the only part of a vehicle in
contact with the road, tyres play a critical role in fleet
safety. Arval always specifies new premium-brand tyres
on its vehicles, fitted professionally.
3
Are you aware
of MOT changes?
Changes to the MOT for cars and vans, and the annual test for heavy goods vehicles,
recently came into force as new European requirements on roadworthiness took
effect.
Introduced on 20th March, the changes reflect advances in technology. There
will be additional checks for some vehicle systems including brakes, steering,
suspension, lighting and speedometer. These changes will not affect the basic
cost of a test.
What will the changes affect?
Tests carried out on:
Cars
Vans (LCV)
Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV)
Buses
Coaches
What’s changed
There will be new checks for different classes of vehicle on a number of items including
Electronic power steering malfunction indicator lamp
Brake fluid warning lamp illuminated or inoperative
Engine mountings
Speedometer
Battery (including batteries for electric or hybrid vehicles)
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) components
Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS)
The BVRLA view on
why we need to fall
into line with the EU?
It is important that
vehicles can move
freely, and road safety
is important throughout
the EU, therefore we
need similar standards.
It is useful that MOTs are
closely aligned so that
EU citizens are treated
equally and it becomes
easier for people to make
cross-border journeys.
The MOT test is designed to make sure that a vehicle is fit
to be on the road and so it needs to be updated to reflect
new vehicle technology.
Alastair Peoples, Chief Executive at the Vehicle and Operator Services
Agency.
Arval Driver Newsletter JULY 2013
4
FREE RESOURCES
TO KEEP YOU SAFE
73,000 business drivers
injured each year. That’s
200 people each day!
Once again this year, Arval helped to promote United Nations Road Safety Week which took place
from the 6th to the 12th of May. As part of our support, we produced and shared some free safety
resources. We thought you might be interested.
ARVAL SAFETY CARD
The size of a business card, it contains a tyre
wear indicator and top driving tips.
To request some copies, email: info@arval.co.uk
10 SAFE DRIVING TIPS
We’re promoting good practices to drivers.
Click here for your copy
P.S. our road safety initiatives helped
us to win an award recently
In May we were delighted to be independently nominated by national
road safety organisation, RoadSafe for our work in the area of fleet safety.
As a result we won the prestigious 2013 Fleet Safety Award.
Arval Driver Newsletter JULY 2013
5
A HOLE LOT
OF DAMAGE
In the past year, more than £215 million has been paid out by fleet operators on
vehicle repairs to rectify the damage caused by potholes and poorly maintained
road surfaces (Source: Fleet News). The weather’s now much warmer, but many
roads remain damaged after the winter.
Regions in 2012
North East and Midlands
has the highest incidents of
pothole damage
Potholes can cause damage to:
steering alignment and suspension
wheels and tyres
buckled anti-roll bars
smashed shock absorbers
Wales and East of England
least likely to encounter costly
problems (mainly due to lower
traffic density rather than
better quality road surfaces)
What to do if you hit a pothole
Stop immediately and check your vehicle
Check your tyre pressures regularly over the next few days – there could be
a gradual loss of pressure
Experiencing unusual steering? Take your vehicle to a garage or tyre specialist
Report potholes to your relevant local or country council or to the Highways
Agency in the case of motorways.
Top tips to making a claim
In 2012, Councils in England and Wales paid out £22.8 million in compensation
to drivers for pothole related damage. If you damage your car on a known
pothole it may be possible to make a claim from the Highways Authority
1 Gather evidence
If safe to do so, take photographs, measure the pothole’s width and
depth and note anything else about it e.g. its position.
2 Report the pothole
As soon as possible after your accident inform the council of the
problem. Find the relevant contact details by clicking this link:
www.potholes.co.uk
3 Submit a Freedom of Information request
You can submit a Freedom of Information request to the relevant
authority to find out how often the road is inspected and maintained.
4 Make your claim
By contacting your local council.
Arval Driver Newsletter JULY 2013
Hitting a pothole can
be dangerous. The
Institute of Advanced
Motorists says that
74% of local Councillors
think improving road
surfaces and reducing
potholes is a top road
safety priority. More
must be done to fix our
roads before the backlog
of repairs becomes
unmanageable.
Tracey Scarr, CSR Manager at
Arval
6
HOT
News…
Did you know?
46%
of drivers admit to submitting false mileage
claims and have over-estimated their
mileage when claiming expenses (Source:
TomTom Business Solutions). HMRC can impose
significant fines on drivers and companies
found guilty of inaccurate records.
100’s
of people are killed or injured each year
on hard shoulders and lay-bys yet one in
four drivers stop on the hard shoulder in
a non-emergency (Source: Survive). If caught
you could be fined up to £60 and receive
three penalty points, as well as risking
your life.
Arval Driver Newsletter JULY 2013
Legislation
Government gets tough on drink-drive
offenders
New drink-drive rules implemented on
the 1st June will see the most dangerous
offenders forced to prove they are no
longer dependent on alcohol before they
are allowed to get back behind the wheel.
On the spot fines
From July this year, Police will be able to
issue £100 fines and three points for careless
driving offences that previously had to go
to court. This will include tailgating and
‘hogging’ the middle lane of a motorway.
Current fixed penalties for using a mobile
phone whilst driving or not wearing a
seatbelt will also increase by £40 to £100.
UK device approved to drug test drivers
A drug detection kit will be used by Police
forces across the UK which will see
drug driving become a specific offence.
Offenders will face up to six months in jail,
a fine of up to £5,000 and an automatic
driving ban of at least 12 months.
7
Arval Centre, Windmill Hill, Swindon
SN5 6PE United Kingdom
Email: info@arval.co.uk
Telephone: 01793 887000
arval.co.uk