A HGV driver was jailed in July for three and half years after colliding with another vehicle while using a mobile phone. The vehicle was a security van that had broken down in lane one of the A27 dual carriageway in August 2020. All three occupants in the vehicle sustained injuries. Police officers also identified 42 accounts of “poor driving” during the driver’s four-hour journey before he collided with the security van. This included persistent use of a mobile phone and taking both hands off the wheel to peel a banana. The operator that employed the driver had installed cameras in the HGV which enabled the police to see exactly what occurred and led to the accident. You can see the footage below. Is this the worst case of prolonged distracted driving seen? Are you aware if your drivers have penalties for use of a mobile phone? The footage shows how quickly accidents can happen when drivers are distracted.  And a driver that has received a fine or penalty points for driving without due care may not tell their employer. The only way to assess the potential risk of drivers is by checking their licences with the DVLA at a frequency commensurate with their risk profile e.g., a driver with six to nine points should be checked monthly and a driver with a clean licence every three to six months. Descartes SmartLicence can also send you a SmartAlert to inform you of any new points or penalties following a licence check. Get a quote for your fleet. Source - Commercial Fleet.