Fleet drivers 'should stay calm if accelerator becomes stuck'
Posted by Michellee Johnson
Drivers working for commercial vehicle hire contract owners or firms with car leasing deals may wish to take the advice of the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and stay calm should their accelerator become jammed.
If such an event occurs, those driving a vehicle for a fleet operator should press the brake followed by the clutch and wait for the power to disengage.
Stephen Mead, IAM's assistant chief examiner, says: "Keep calm - surprisingly the perception of the average driver with a stuck accelerator is that they can't brake either, but this is a misconception brought on by panic."
Fleet solutions managers could consider this advice well worth passing on to their drivers, after a number of new vehicles were recently recalled because of faulty accelerators.
To avoid a collision, after disengaging power motorists should identify a safe position to stop and pull over.
Drivers were this week also warned not to use mobile phones when behind the wheel by Norfolk Constabulary, which said a number of people have been caught doing so in recent weeks.