Published on Jan 15, 2025
Of course, what Alexander Pope actually said was: “to err is human, and to forgive is divine” – but remember that he was an 18th century poet, and not a 21st century manager with a business to run!
Forgiveness is certainly a quality to be applauded, but, on balance, it’s probably better to try and understand why errors occur so that you can reduce the chance of them actually happening.
Obviously, this pragmatic approach is ideal if you’re a transport manager, somebody with legal responsibility for the operation of a fleet of commercial vehicles, but it’s also a valuable strategy for managers in all sectors. However, for the moment, let’s focus on the transport manager and the challenges he (or she) faces.
If a driver is involved in a road accident (or, to use the official jargon, a ‘road traffic collision’) there can be an understandable temptation in many cases to simply attribute the cause to ‘driver error’. After all, the driver’s job is to control the vehicle so, if it hits something, then it’s tempting to assume that the collision was probably due to the driver’s mistake.
And that argument gains strength if a subsequent mechanical examination shows that there was nothing wrong with the brakes or steering etc. prior to the collision. The vehicle should have been able to stop/ steer around the obstruction – so why didn’t it do so? What did the driver do wrong?
Surprisingly, it’s quite possible that the driver was guilty of nothing more than being human. For example, let’s assume that the driver had ended a phone call from his manager (using a perfectly legal hands-free system) just a few minutes before the accident.
Research conducted in Australia demonstrated that a phone call could have a distracting effect on a driver for up to ten minutes after the call ends, possibly because it can take that long for a person to fully refocus on their driving. Crucially, however, they won’t actually be aware that their attention has been in any way reduced.
So, looked at from another viewpoint, you could argue that the root cause of the collision was the manager phoning his driver while he was on the road. No phone call – no distraction – no collision.
Now, there’s a thought to conjure with!
Our one-day course, Understanding and Managing Human Error – Essential Skills for the Transport Manager, is presented by Andy Farrall, a qualified lead accident investigator with a special interest in human error mechanisms. During the course, Andy explores key concepts and issues which are directly relevant to the role of the transport manager.
It’s an unashamedly challenging course, one which draws on the work of a number of leading international experts. Delegates will gain a whole new understanding of the potential causes which can lie behind human error, insights which can only enhance their skills as managers.
Published on Jan 15, 2025 by Andy Farrell