11/15/2024
To coincide with the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, which is held on the third Sunday of November each year, check out the third episode in our “I’m a #SafeDriver” road safety awareness campaign. A TotalEnergies employee and a contractor present their best practices for always being mindful of others while driving.
Some of our employees and contractors spend several hours every day behind the wheel of a vehicle as part of their job. Our “I’m a #SafeDriver” series gives them chance to talk about the risks involved in driving and the best practices to ensure safe driving.
In this new episode, a TotalEnergies employee and a contractor share their best practices for keeping other road users safe while at the wheel: Nasser, a truck driver who hauls petroleum products in Egypt, and Anne-Mette, in charge of developing new forms of mobility for TotalEnergies in Scandinavia.
Roads are shared by many different types of users, including cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, cycles and pedestrians. Everyone needs to be mindful of others to avoid accidents. This can be achieved by following a few simple rules:
anticipate potential hazards,
be extra vigilant,
signal to inform others of your intentions and pay close attention to those from other road users, and
pay special attention to vulnerable road users (pedestrians, motorcycles, three-wheelers, cycles and mobility scooters).
#SafeDriver: I pay attention to other road users and pedestrians when I’m driving
Checking my blind spots isn't an option. It's mandatory. It's a simple gesture that can save lives.
Sometimes you don't know how pedestrians will behave. So I always slow down or stop completely.
I'm Nasser Abu El Fotuh. I've been a truck driver for nearly fifteen years. My name is Anne-Mette Moeller and I'm the New Mobilities Development Manager for TotalEnergies in the Nordic countries. Denmark is a paradise for cyclists. With the many bikes that are in the city we have to be vigilant all the time. And they're really fast. We have to watch out for them. Sometimes they will pull into traffic without you knowing. I'm always very careful, especially when I'm driving in rush hour, like right now. When the traffic is heavy, I always pay extra attention to my surroundings, and I don't hesitate to slow down. You see? That's why you always have to keep a close eye on other road users. Especially when you know that cyclists are three times as likely to have a road accident as car drivers.
One of the problems in Egypt is the traffic. The roads are full of tuk-tuks, pedestrians... and the traffic is heavy. So you have to be very careful and look out on every side to pay attention to everyone. I see all manner of high-risk situations on the road every day.
Anticipating the mistakes of other road users is vital for safety on the road. I'm very focused when driving near a cyclist or a pedestrian. And of course I hold my foot above the brake pedal when approaching a high-risk area. And let me just say: I always check the blind spots before making a turn or changing lane. We drive through crowded areas and narrow streets. You have to be very careful of blind spots and always keep an eye on the right-hand lane.
In busy areas, I'm very careful. I slow down to track the pedestrians and vehicles. The road is a shared space so for me it means taking care of each other. Paying extra attention to other road users is part of being a #SafeDriver.
Being a #SafeDriver means being safe for me and for others.
I'm a #SafeDriver.
I'm a #SafeDriver.
Safety is TotalEnergies’ number one value. Whether on land, at sea and in the air, we have introduced a transport accident prevention policy to keep our employees, service providers and all users safe. In the field of road transportation, this policy is based on applying standards, providing driver training, promoting communication, defining technical specifications for vehicles and rolling out a large-scale inspection program of transportation contractors. It applies to all our employees, as well as those of our contractors.
