RoadSafe launches Driving For Better Business Programme

RoadSafe has formally unveiled the latest government-led road safety scheme: the ‘Driving for Better Business’ safety initiative, is part of the government backed ‘Driving for Work Business Champions Programme’ being launched at the CV Show at the NEC in Birmingham between 24th and the 26th April 2007.

The “Business Champions” outreach programme will be managed by RoadSafe on behalf of the Department for Transport, and will run alongside the Think! road safety campaign. Through the network of champions, which will be made up of employers from the public, private and voluntary sectors, the principal aim of the programme is to reduce the number of deaths and injuries on the road, whilst driving on business. Employers will also be encouraged to promote Health and Safety Legislation not only in the workplace, but also whilst driving during working hours. This comes after worrying statistics which show that everyday, more than 150 vehicles are involved in an accident on work-related journeys.

The campaign, which will run from September this year until mid-2009, initially focuses on van drivers, and the rapidly-expanding van fleet and home delivery markets. There are more than 320,000 sub-3.5 tonne vans registered annually, and with a net increase of 170,000 per annum, this means that dangers on the road are also escalating.

Mercedes-Benz, part of DaimlerChrysler, the world’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, has announced that it is to become a Foundation Partner of the campaign. They displayed their Sprinter Safety Van on Stand 5510 in Hall 5, equipped with some of the most advanced active and passive safety systems on the market, as a primary example of the latest technology available for today’s van driver.

Senior Marketing representatives from both Mercedes, and Tesco – also a Foundation Partner - who have one of the biggest home delivery fleets in the UK, were on hand to emphasise the importance of promoting strict safety measures to employees whilst driving on company business.

Commenting on the campaign Mercedes-Benz van marketing manager David Higson said,”Van operators are becoming more safety conscious all the time, and as the manufacturer of the safest vans in the world, it is only appropriate that Mercedes-Benz has become one of the first Foundation supporters of this campaign”.

Adrian Walsh, RoadSafe Director, explains: “Given the explosion in demand for van drivers as a result of the boom in Internet shopping, it is important that employers focus on driving ability, and do not simply assume that being in possession of a driving license is a guarantee of ability. We believe our “Business Champions” strategy will result in a dramatic increase in the number of companies that adopt effective work-related road safety policies.”

Although the new programme is only coming into effect this year, there has already been a significant investment by companies to improve safety measures amongst their workforce, who are regularly driving for work. At a recent British Chambers of Commerce Conference, Douglass Alexander MP, Secretary of State for Transport paid tribute to business leaders who had introduced internal codes of good practice for driving for work.

He said to delegates: “You all have a duty of care. Those companies which have good schemes in place can and should take the story to others.” Explaining the DfT funded Driving for Better Business outreach programme he added: “Business and government are working together to identify best practice and to help to cascade it to others.”