As the current spell of hot weather continues and more sunshine is forecast, this month’s Toolbox Talk focuses on one of the most important seasonal risks facing professional drivers: the increased presence of vulnerable road users.

Summer changes how people use the roads. Longer daylight hours, warmer temperatures and the school holidays encourage more people to walk, cycle, ride motorcycles and spend time outdoors. Children are also more likely to be playing in residential streets or travelling independently during the day, increasing activity around towns, villages, parks and local attractions.

For professional drivers, this means more frequent interactions with vulnerable road users throughout the working day. Around half of all road fatalities in Great Britain involve vulnerable road users, with many collisions occurring during everyday manoeuvres such as turning at junctions, moving away from the kerb or navigating slow-moving traffic rather than at high speed on open roads.

This month’s Toolbox Talk explores these seasonal risks and reinforces the importance of anticipating the presence of vulnerable road users before they become a hazard. It also revisits the Highway Code’s Hierarchy of Road Users, reminding drivers that those who can cause the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger they pose to others.

The Toolbox Talk covers five key themes:

• How warmer weather and the school holidays increase exposure to vulnerable road users
• Applying the Highway Code’s Hierarchy of Road Users in everyday driving
• Reducing risk at junctions through effective observation and anticipation
• Protecting the nearside of larger vehicles and making the best use of mirrors, cameras and direct vision
• Recognising how heat, dehydration, glare and fatigue can affect driving performance

Alongside these practical driving techniques, the Toolbox Talk encourages drivers to adopt a proactive mindset. Rather than expecting pedestrians, cyclists or children to behave perfectly. Professional drivers should expect mistakes, allow extra time and space, and be prepared to react safely.

By combining seasonal awareness with defensive driving principles, the Toolbox Talk reinforces that preventing collisions is not about luck or quick reactions, but about planning ahead and making safe decisions before risks develop.

With further warm, dry weather expected over the coming weeks, this is an ideal opportunity for operators to refresh drivers’ awareness and reinforce the simple behaviours that help keep vulnerable road users safe throughout the summer.