Wheel be alright

The Government has announced the temporary removal of lorry and bus driving (D4) medicals for licence renewals.

Normally, an application to renew a lorry or bus licence for drivers aged 45 or over must include a medical examination report (D4) which is signed by a doctor. At present, however, NHS doctors are rightfully focused on covid-19 and cannot carry out these examinations. This means lorry and bus drivers are currently unable to obtain D4 medical reports required to support their application.

In response to this, the Government is taking action to protect essential supply chains by making temporary provisions for commercial drivers aged 45 and over, to forgo the need for a D4 medical in order to renew their driving entitlement.

Drivers with health conditions will still need to declare these, and those with health conditions that prevent them from driving safely will not have their licence renewed.

Drivers will be able to receive a temporary one-year licence, providing:

• they do not have any existing notifiable health conditions; and
• their licence has expired after 1 January 2020.

The licence will only be valid for one year instead of five years and drivers will need to submit a completed D4 when their licence is due for renewal in 12 months.

This will not affect applications for renewal of licences made by those aged 65 or over as these licences are already only valid for one year.

This does not apply to any application to renew small lorry (C1) and minibus (D1 101) entitlements included on car licences issued before 1997.

Any driver who has already obtained a D4 can still submit this with their application. A licence issued in such cases would be valid for the usual full term that applies.

More information can be found on the Government website here. You can also click here for a printable notice.

Preventing road accidents

Police across the country have reported a rise in the number of motorists taking advantage of quieter roads to break the speed limit.

All Royal Mail drivers are reminded that reduced traffic congestion, as a result of the lockdown measures currently in place, should not be viewed as an opportunity to drive without due care.

Both the law and Royal Mail Group policy require all drivers and passengers to wear seat belts at all times, when driving a Royal Mail vehicle.

Remember, seat belts are one of the most important features for protecting vehicle occupants and fastening them is one of the most basic steps drivers can take to reduce their risk of death or injury. Even at low speeds they ensure that as little contact as possible is made between the occupant and the vehicle interior, and at higher speeds, they prevent you from being thrown from the vehicle.