Vans

PROGRAM COMPONENTS

Many organizations mistakenly assume that van driving is no different than driving a personal car, and they expect their employees (or volunteers) to assume van-driving responsibilities without any training. The fact is that most commercial vans are very different than passenger cars.

With the increasing focus on the safe transportation of passengers with impairments, today's drivers must be trained as professionals, and schooled not only in defensive driving techniques, but also in safe passenger assistance procedures. Both public and private organizations that transport special needs passengers are responsible for training their drivers to perform their jobs as professionals, keeping the passengers' safety and dignity in mind at all times.

Many organizations mistakenly assume that van driving is no different than driving a personal car, and they expect their employees (or volunteers) to assume van-driving responsibilities without any training. The fact is that most commercial vans are very different than passenger cars. They are bigger, heavier, have larger blind spots, and require longer following and stopping distances.

Are your off-road drivers following the right safety procedures for their environment?

Do they know:

• That even 20 miles per hour may be too fast in some off-road areas?
• That even 4-wheel vehicles cannot handle all terrain?
• How to select a "safe" off-road parking location?
• How to inspect a vehicle used in off-road locations
• How to secure equipment properly?
• How to make the transition from a paved to an unpaved surface?
• The limits of driving 2-wheel and 4-wheel drive vehicles?
• What precautions to take when backing?

In the delivery business, temporary or permanent loss of personnel, out-of-service vehicles and damaged products caused by vehicle collisions really hurt the bottom line. Bringing your route sales drivers up to date on critical defensive driving skills and techniques will help keep them out of collisions and on the job.