We really do work for a bunch of nasty bstards

[Budfrog]

Must be one hell of a gradient for a correctly maintained handbrake not to work.

[Rattler]

I find it difficult to believe that with 2014 technology on vehicles its necessary to leave vehicles in gear to ensure that they wont roll away
Maybe the next item we will have to sign for will be a pair off wheel chocks
Come along RM get a manufacturers investigation going
It surely with the number of instances recorded cannot always be the drivers fault
Is it not a requirement of law that a vehicles handbrake must perform to a set percentage of vehicle braking force.

[loverman shabba]

they may aswell not have handbrakes. we get told to leave in gear and turn the wheel toward the curb

[Rudolph_Hucker]

Is leaving vans in gear a nationwide RM policy? If so does anyone know where this is laid down? This is the first I've heard of it. No such briefing at our place.

An RM policy, I couldn't say for sure. However, we did have a briefing before Christmas on applying handbrakes and leaving a vehicle in gear with the wheels pointing in toward the kerb if parked on a hill.

This is a practice I have always carried out and, as somebody else has said it is good driving practice to depress the clutch pedal prior to starting the engine, it takes the strain of the engine regardless if it's 1954 or 2014!

[tiggle]

Is leaving vans in gear a nationwide RM policy? If so does anyone know where this is laid down? This is the first I've heard of it. No such briefing at our place.

An RM policy, I couldn't say for sure. However, we did have a briefing before Christmas on applying handbrakes and leaving a vehicle in gear with the wheels pointing in toward the kerb if parked on a hill.

This is a practice I have always carried out and, as somebody else has said it is good driving practice to depress the clutch pedal prior to starting the engine, it takes the strain of the engine regardless if it's 1954 or 2014!

I learned to drive 30 years ago and there was no mention of Royal mail policy that I can recall and when you parked you put the car in neutral and applied the handbrake,but that's beside the point you don't sack someone for something as pathetic as this and we demean ourselves by waffling on like a bunch of anoraks. everybody out!!!!

[Budfrog]

Would all drivers please read and follow the SSOW below:

http://www.westernsafety.com/checkers20 ... chocks.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[freelunch]

..... you don't sack someone for something as pathetic as this and we demean ourselves by waffling on like a bunch of anoraks. everybody out!!!!

what she said

[Bahia Feliz]

Did the driver get reinstated,did they go on strike in the end?

[raikky]

I don't know how these vehicles passed all the safety tests. cars are expected to be able to park on a very steep slope with only the handbrake and so many clicks.

weve been told when parking we have to use handbrake, leave it in 1st or reverse gear, and also point the wheels in or out of ther curb. had to sign some sheet aswel. so if we have accident we will be sacked

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Got to be honest here, although I don't drive for Royal Mail, I did a lot of driving in the forces and in ALL the units I was posted to, indeed as part of the initial training course, it was drummed into us to do exactly what RM are telling drivers what to do. Eventually it became 2nd nature and I still do it without thinking even now nearly 35 years later

[krussel]

Got to be honest here, although I don't drive for Royal Mail, I did a lot of driving in the forces and in ALL the units I was posted to, indeed as part of the initial training course, it was drummed into us to do exactly what RM are telling drivers what to do. Eventually it became 2nd nature and I still do it without thinking even now nearly 35 years later

Having owned 70's cars I always leave my cars in gear. Only once did I forget and de clutched on the drive letting my 4 month old car roll back and fold in a garage door. That £600 lesson I learned well.

[DB1100]

I was always taught to dip the clutch when starting any vehicle,common sense really.

[dvbuk55]

Got to be honest here, although I don't drive for Royal Mail, I did a lot of driving in the forces and in ALL the units I was posted to, indeed as part of the initial training course, it was drummed into us to do exactly what RM are telling drivers what to do. Eventually it became 2nd nature and I still do it without thinking even now nearly 35 years later

You mean a brick under the front wheel TBT, there couldn't have been a mechanical hand brake that long ago surely

[Gus McCrae]

weve been told when parking we have to use handbrake, leave it in 1st or reverse gear, and also point the wheels in or out of ther curb. had to sign some sheet aswel. so if we have accident we will be sacked

That's exactly what we were told at WTL a few weeks ago. Perhaps we're at the same office.

[PhilPott]

Been told to leave in gear and turn wheel in several WTL sessions. I've seen posters and there has been a video detailing it as well - a postwoman was in the video if I recall correctly. She'd been badly injured by a rolling RM vehicle.

More to the point it's actually in the Highway Code so people really shouldn't need RM to tell them the basics. And it's not as if it's difficult or time consuming to do.