Driver Hire Training, the training arm of national recruiter, Driver Hire, sees its training courses as an important element in saving lives on UK roads. That’s why, for over 30 years, the Bradford-based company has supported Brake, the road safety charity’s annual Road Safety Week, which takes place this year from 16th – 22nd November.
“Every day of the year four people set off on what is probably a routine journey, never to return. It’s an immeasurable tragedy for their family, colleagues, and friends,” says John Keelan-Edwards, MD at Driver Hire Training. “It equates to 1,600 deaths a year, with around 30,000 people seriously injured. These figures have remained stubbornly high for more than a decade.”
“As one of the leading suppliers of temporary drivers to the road transport and logistics industry, we’ve around 2,500 drivers out on the road every day. Clearly, we want to ensure their safety and the safety of all other road-users, especially the more vulnerable – pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and motorcyclists,” John continues.
This year’s Road Safety Week theme is ‘Safe vehicles save lives.’ It highlights how the right vehicle checks and technology can prevent crashes and protect lives. Safe vehicles are designed to avoid collisions, protect people inside and outside the vehicle, and support driver awareness and emergency response.
“Before setting off on a shift, HGV drivers must complete a daily walk-around vehicle check,” says John. “It covers tyres, lights, mirrors and other key components. It’s a legal requirement. The Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) recommends the check should take about 15 minutes to complete. It could be the difference between a safe journey and a serious incident. That’s why the walk-around check is an important topic in our Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC) training programmes. To support this, we’ve also produced a ‘Daily Walk Around Check’ poster.”
Whilst ensuring the safety of the vehicle, road safety is also about the driver. Auto-correct systems can now detect unsafe driver behaviour. For example, drifting across lanes on a motorway and driver fatigue. That’s why Driver Hire’s Fleet Training courses cover driver risk awareness with specific topics on fatigue and how to avoid it.
“By combining regular checks with ongoing training and risk awareness, Driver Hire is helping to ensure that every journey is as safe as possible — because safe vehicles and safe drivers save lives,” John concludes.
