News

The Royal Mail and Suckling Transport were among the major winners at the Brake Fleet Safety Forum Awards last week.

The Royal Mail won the Fleet Safety Analysis and Action Award, while its senior asset control manager Mike Stockton won Road Risk Manager of the Year (large fleet).

It won the first award for using 20,000 online risk assessments  and 33,000 training exercises, as well as collision analysis and telemetry feedback to identify not only high-risk individuals, but also common high-risk driving behaviours for targeted interventions.

With 33,000 vehicles and 90,000 drivers, the Royal Mail reduced collisions by 7% last year.

Brake Fleet Safety Forum manager Roz Cumming says: "It's a fantastic achievement on a gigantic scale."

Stockton's award was for being "the driving force behind a huge-scale driver risk management programme from its inception", engaging 60,000 staff members in road safety awareness.

Peter Larner, MD of Suckling, was named Road Risk Manager of the Year (small fleet) for his "clear and unfaltering vision for improving safety".

Cumming says of Larner: "He has encouraged his drivers to report more incidents because he sees even the most  minor ones as opportunities to understand issues and improve performance."

Larner tells MT: "Six months ago I signed the European Road Safety Charter. Taking effective measures to reduce road deaths by at least 50% by 2010 is a worthy, and I believe achievable, aim."

This week Suckling launches its 1mkm challenge, in which around 20 teams of the firm's tanker drivers will be set the task of completing one million km of accident-free driving. The best teams will receive a trophy and prizes, while Suckling will make a donation to the charity of their choice.

The initiative is funded by the firm's insurer, OAMPS.

Allied Bakeries also won the Company Driver Safety Award (medium fleet), having posted a 20% reduction in crashes and damage costs last year.