Fleets need to be aware of the growing impact of the pandemic on mental health and any subsequent safety risks to drivers, warns FleetCheck.
The British fleet management software producer say employers should take serious steps to fulfil the basic requirement of checking that drivers are fit to drive – not just physically but also mentally.
Peter Golding, managing director at the fleet software company, pointed to a new poll that showed 40% of people believed their mental health had become worse during the crisis.
We know that mental health problems of all kinds can have an impact on driver performance on the road. With people saying that feelings of anxiety, stress and depression are particularly apparent, there is a genuine case for fleets to take action” – he said.
Employers should be fulfilling their basic requirement of checking that drivers are fit to drive and of course, their mental wellbeing should arguably be as much part of this assessment as if they had a physical problem.
It should be taken as a given that anyone who feels that their mental health has deteriorated to a point where they should not be driving should be taken seriously, and employers should also make it clear that such situations will be dealt with sympathetically” – emphasises Golding.
A possible starting point for most fleets would be to seek professional human resources who could ask drivers questions regularly and flag up any immediate issues that need attention.
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