RED Corporate Driver Training has won a major driver safety award from one of the largest logistics groups in the UK.

The firm won the Van Safety and Compliance Award at Logistics UK’s Van Awards 2024, which celebrate the best commercial vehicle businesses, their achievements in the van industry, and recognise and reward businesses that place safety and compliance at the heart of their operations.

Now, as a category winner, RED goes on to the shortlist for the Van Business of the Year Award which will be presented at Logistics UK’s main Logistics Awards in December.

RED Corporate Driver Training’s Head of Corporate, Greg Ford, said: “We’re delighted to have won this prestigious award which recognises the innovative approach we are taking to fleet safety with our SafetyFirst platform.

“It’s always nice to receive external confirmation that what we are doing is making a real difference to fleet operators and their drivers by improving compliance and reducing risk for our clients.

“SafetyFirst is a robust driver risk compliance tool, built in-house using the extensive driver risk knowledge our team has built up over the years, combined with the very latest technology.”

SafetyFirst is an online platform that supports fleet management of driver risk and training, and provides employers, fleet decision-makers and drivers with a simple, easy-to-use cloud-based support system on desktop, tablet or mobile.

The platform gives fleets real-time status of all drivers, as well as storing information about each one including training courses, risk scores and learning journey, as well as managing the licence checking function. For drivers, it can hold policies and paperwork digitally, so they are always aware of their requirements and compliance.

SafetyFirst can also hold vast amounts of information on vehicles too, including upcoming MoT and tax dates, and reports. For the grey fleet, SafetyFirst allows fleet managers to ensure those drivers using their own vehicle for business have declared and refreshed insurance, service, licence and tax status, and holds their records too.

Logistics UK is one of the biggest business groups in the UK, with members from the road, rail, sea and air industries, as well as the buyers of freight services such as retailers and manufacturers whose businesses depend on the efficient movement of goods. As well as representing the industry at local, national and European levels, it also campaigns on everything from airport planning approvals to fuel duty and driver shortages.

For more information on RED Corporate Driver Training’s range of training courses and risk management solutions, visit https://www.reddrivingschool.com/driver-risk-management/

ENDS

Further information
Colin Paterson, Head of Marketing

colin.paterson@redtraining.com
07774 828942

About RED Corporate Driver Training

RED Corporate Driver Training (CDT) is part of the Driving Success Group which also includes one of the UK’s largest multi-award-winning driving schools. The Corporate Driver Training part of the group specialises in the delivery of tailored programmes to reduce the road risks within organisations and improve the safety and efficiency of work-related driving, and has more than 35 years’ experience in service delivery for a wide range of clients including SMEs, not-for-profit and large multi-national organisations. 

The business is a fully accredited DVSA (Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency) Fleet Training provider, and by training its own trainers, coaches and instructors for corporate and fleet training work, ensures that high standards of quality are applied consistently throughout the UK. RED CDT is accredited to ISO standards: 9001, 27001,14001 and 18001 and has won many business awards for its dedication to customer service. Operating from a specialist training facility at Donington Park race circuit gives clients access to a range of classroom, workshop and off-road driving settings.

The post RED’s SafetyFirst wins prestigious fleet safety award from Logistics UK appeared first on RED Driving School.

And the very first fruits of the partnership will be revealed at the Fleet and Mobility Live Show in October where visitors can take part in the innovative DfBB/RED Brake Distance Challenge, designed to get fleet and risk managers really thinking about the impact the actions of drivers have behind the wheel.

Seb Goldin, CEO at RED Corporate Driver Training, said: “We’re delighted to partner with DfBB and help expand on the excellent work they do in increasing safety standards on our roads for all users.

“DfBB’s four key areas of focus very much align with how our training business operates, focusing on fitness to drive, compliance, leadership and business benefits, and safe vehicles.

“It also coincides with the launch of our Safety First risk management programme platform, offering fleets an easy to use cloud-based support system to manage drivers, vehicles and the grey fleet.”

During Fleet and Mobility Live, taking place at the NEC from October 3-4, visitors can take part in the DfBB/RED Corporate Driver Training Brake Distance Challenge which challenges contestants to estimate the impact of a range of situations and whether those would have contributed to a crash in selected scenarios.

Driving for Better Business is a National Highways programme to help employers in both the private and public sectors reduce work-related road risk, control the associated costs and improve compliance with current legislation and guidance.

Mark Cartwright from Driving for Better Business said: “We are delighted to be partnering with RED Corporate Driver Training supporting those organisations with employees who drive for work.  

“It is fantastic to work alongside like-minded partners to improve safety and reduce risk for those who drive on our road network, and to help everyone in organisations understand their responsibilities to ensure everyone gets home safe and well.”

ENDS

Further information
Colin Paterson, Corporate Marketing

colin.paterson@redtraining.com
07774 828942

About RED Corporate Driver Training

RED Corporate Driver Training (CDT) is part of the Driving Success Group which also includes one of the UK’s largest multi-award-winning driving schools. The Corporate Driver Training part of the group specialises in the delivery of tailored programmes to reduce the road risks within organisations and improve the safety and efficiency of work-related driving, and has more than 35 years’ experience in service delivery for a wide range of clients including SMEs, not-for-profit and large multi-national organisations.

The business is a fully accredited DVSA (Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency) Fleet Training provider, and by training its own trainers, coaches and instructors for corporate and fleet training work, ensures that high standards of quality are applied consistently throughout the UK. RED CDT is accredited to ISO standards: 9001, 27001,14001 and 18001 and has won many business awards for its dedication to customer service. Operating from a specialist training facility at Donington Park race circuit gives clients access to a range of classroom, workshop and off-road driving settings.

The post <strong>RED joins Driving for Better Business programme to help make roads safer</strong> appeared first on RED Driving School.

SafetyFirst can manage drivers, vehicles and grey fleet

Provides duty of care, risk, compliance and training insights

Supports the comprehensive RED range of practical online and on-road driver training services

RED Corporate Driver Training has launched a new driver, compliance and risk management platform, called SafetyFirst, which is the most practical and easy-to-use system of its type in the industry.

RED’s new online platform supports fleet management of driver risk and training, and provides employers, fleet decision-makers and drivers with a simple, easy-to-use cloud-based support system on desktop, tablet or mobile.

The platform gives fleets real-time status of all drivers, as well as storing information about each one including training courses, risk scores and learning journey, as well as managing the licence checking function. For drivers, it can hold policies and paperwork digitally, so they are always aware of their requirements and compliance.

SafetyFirst can also hold vast amounts of information on vehicles too, including upcoming MoT and tax dates, and reports. For the grey fleet, SafetyFirst allows fleet managers to ensure those drivers using their own vehicle for business have declared and refreshed insurance, service, licence and tax status, and holds their records too.

“Fleet managers have so much to deal with now, and SafetyFirst has been specifically built to streamline all that information and to intelligently serve up what is essential to deal with at that moment, while other key fleet management data is easily visible when needed,” said Seb Goldin, CEO at RED Corporate Driver Training.

“Just as important as the platform’s flexibility and adaptability is the fact that RED has the comprehensive range of driver training products and services, including critical on-road and practical training, to deliver and be recorded within the customer’s SafetyFirst system. The dashboard can be configured to each customer’s specific requirements so that it fits in with their other systems and processes, and puts your whole fleet at your fingertips, providing overarching control and visibility.”

SafetyFirst is integral to RED Corporate Driver Training’s mission to provide every element of a fleet’s risk, compliance, vehicle and driver management for all employees and vehicle types, from cars to HGVs.

“RED is not just a driver training company, and SafetyFirst reflects that. Duty of care and fleet compliance is a major part of what we do. The simple fact is that by managing risk, compliance, vehicles and drivers better, businesses can save money and be more operationally efficient. SafetyFirst is intended to the be a vital component of a fleet operation,” Goldin added.

ENDS

Further information
Colin Paterson, Corporate Marketing

colin.paterson@redtraining.com
07774 828942

About RED Corporate Driver Training

RED Corporate Driver Training (CDT) is part of the Driving Success Group which also includes one of the UK’s largest multi-award-winning driving schools. The Corporate Driver Training part of the group specialises in the delivery of tailored programmes to reduce the road risks within organisations and improve the safety and efficiency of work-related driving, and has more than 35 years’ experience in service delivery for a wide range of clients including SMEs, not-for-profit and large multi-national organisations. The business is a fully accredited DVSA (Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency) Fleet Training provider, and by training its own trainers, coaches and instructors for corporate and fleet training work, ensures that high standards of quality are applied consistently throughout the UK. RED CDT is accredited to ISO standards: 9001, 27001,14001 and 18001 and has won many business awards for its dedication to customer service. Operating from a specialist training facility at Donington Park race circuit gives clients access to a range of classroom, workshop and off-road driving settings.

The post <strong>RED launches SafetyFirst, its innovative new risk management platform</strong> appeared first on RED Driving School.

The scheme, suggested by the Competition and Markets Authority, expects major fuel retailers to share their live daily fuel prices online, giving drivers access to a database which allows them to find the cheapest fuel in their location.

The move comes amid rising diesel and petrol pump prices. While today’s prices are far lower than the heights reached last summer of £1.91 per litre for unleaded and £1.99 per litre for diesel, they are still higher than the average for 2023 – and rising: unleaded prices are increasing by an average of 1.3% per week, while diesel prices are going up by 1.4% per week. (Figures taken from the Government’s weekly fuel prices report.)

While the scheme will not be complusory, the Government expects all retailers to join it in advance of a mandatory scheme being implemented at a later date. It believes that drivers will use this to search out cheaper prices, even if it means driving for a few miles extra to fill up.

RED Corporate Driver Training’s CEO, Seb Goldin, does not believe the scheme will make much of a difference. He said: “This is the Government tinkering around the edges. The only way to reduce fuel costs for businesses is to get your employees to drive better.

“With better training fleets can take more proactive steps and take cost reduction strategies out of the hands of politicians.”

RED’s Fuelsave driving course has proved to offer significant savings on fuel costs for businesses.

After its Fuelsave course, RED found that a standard white diesel van doing 30,000 miles per annum made an average fuel saving of 11.3% (improving from an average of 27mpg to 30mpg) – equating to an annual saving per vehicle of £734, based on diesel at 145p per litre. (Notes to editors: Van at 30mpg for 30,000 miles = £6,601, Van at 27mpg for 30,000 miles = £7,335, Difference = £734.)

Drivers have reported that the new driving style they are taught on the course is also more relaxing, and they make progress more efficiently, resulting in journey times decreasing by 3.6%.

Based on a 40-hour driving week, this equates to 75 hours saved per year, per driver, or a saving of 1.5 hours each week, while the CO2 reduction based on the above scenario is 1,548.40 kg of CO2 per vehicle per year for a diesel vehicle, or 1,412.47 kg for a petrol one.

Goldin added: “With the huge uptake in our Fuelsave course this year, it’s clear that fleets realise economical driving is still a hugely important skill.

“With reduced demand at the pump as drivers switch to electric – and therefore higher prices as oil companies look to retain profit margins – the days of low diesel and petrol prices may well be over.

“That may not be a problem for drivers in electric cars, but for fleets which rely on diesel vans and trucks, it could be a significant financial burden. In this case, Fuelsave training can help mitigate against these cost rises.”

ENDS

Further information
Colin Paterson, Corporate Marketing

colin.paterson@redtraining.com
07774 828942

About RED Corporate Driver Training

RED Corporate Driver Training (CDT) is part of the Driving Success Group which also includes one of the UK’s largest multi-award-winning driving schools. The Corporate Driver Training part of the group specialises in the delivery of tailored programmes to reduce the road risks within organisations and improve the safety and efficiency of work-related driving, and has more than 35 years’ experience in service delivery for a wide range of clients including SMEs, not-for-profit and large multi-national organisations. The business is a fully accredited DVSA (Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency) Fleet Training provider, and by training its own trainers, coaches and instructors for corporate and fleet training work, ensures that high standards of quality are applied consistently throughout the UK. RED CDT is accredited to ISO standards: 9001, 27001,14001 and 18001 and has won many business awards for its dedication to customer service. Operating from a specialist training facility at Donington Park race circuit gives clients access to a range of classroom, workshop and off-road driving settings.

The post <strong>New Government scheme to force petrol retailers to display daily fuel prices online is pointless – the only way to save money on fuel is to drive better, says RED Corporate Driver Training</strong> appeared first on RED Driving School.

Current proposals to introduce longer articulated trailers to the UK’s roads, coupled with plans to allow car drivers instant access to 7.5-tonne lorries, would create a double-pronged threat to road safety because both schemes do away with essential training.

Seb Goldin, CEO of RED Corporate Driver Training, said: “We understand the need to address the commercial vehicle driver shortage in the UK, but the Government’s approach of simply de-regulating licensing requirements is not the right approach.

“These vehicles require extensive training to operate in a safe manner – we can’t simply do away with the need for training because it goes hand-in-hand with improving road safety for all users.”

Currently, a category B (car) licence entitles holders to drive vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes (and up to 4.25 tonnes for alternatively-fuelled vehicles). To drive vehicles from 3.5 to 7 tonnes requires the driver to pass a C1 licence test.

To qualify for a C1 licence, applicants must currently: have passed their car test, had a medical assessment, attained a provisional C licence, passed a theory test and, finally, passed a practical C1 test.

Seb Goldin added: “Removing these requirements creates a huge gulf in knowledge, which is quite scary when you think an 18-year-old who has just passed their driving test could be handed the keys to a 7.5-tonne lorry. We urge the Government to re-think this plan.”

Separate proposals to allow longer articulated trailers to be used on UK roads also raise serious safety concerns. The Government has said it will allow lorries up to 18.55 metres long to be operated – 2.05 metres longer than the current maximum.

Seb Goldin added: “Is additional training and testing being considered for this move? You need to complete a special test currently to show manoeuvring competency, so will a retrospective test be applied to these longer trailers?

“Is there a mandatory multiple blind spot camera requirement because expecting a driver to navigate and cover all blind spots on this length of trailer is asking a lot of a normal human, especially with the increase in e-bikes and e-scooters in urban areas?”

Department for Transport figures show a steady decrease in goods vehicle casualties since 2014, which there were 6,326 people killed or seriously injured. This fell to 4,735 in provisional figures for 2022.

Goldin added: “The fact that the current system of training has resulted in a steady decrease in the number of people killed or seriously injured in commercial vehicles shows that the training regime is working.

“We saw this race to deregulate last year when the mandatory test for towing was scrapped. It’s one thing to say ‘we don’t want more red tape’ because it hinders businesses.  But sometimes you do need regulation, especially when lives are at risk.

“After all, more crashes hinder business far more dramatically than adhering to well-proven regulations. We urge the Government to tread very carefully, and to not undo years of progress in road safety and improving driving standards.”

ENDS

Further information
Colin Paterson, Corporate Marketing

colin.paterson@redtraining.com

07774 828942

About RED Corporate Driver Training

RED Corporate Driver Training (CDT) is part of the Driving Success Group which also includes one of the UK’s largest multi-award-winning driving schools. The Corporate Driver Training part of the group specialises in the delivery of tailored programmes to reduce the road risks within organisations and improve the safety and efficiency of work-related driving, and has more than 35 years’ experience in service delivery for a wide range of clients including SMEs, not-for-profit and large multi-national organisations. The business is a fully accredited DVSA (Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency) Fleet Training provider, and by training its own trainers, coaches and instructors for corporate and fleet training work, ensures that high standards of quality are applied consistently throughout the UK. RED CDT is accredited to ISO standards: 9001, 27001,14001 and 18001 and has won many business awards for its dedication to customer service. Operating from a specialist training facility at Donington Park race circuit gives clients access to a range of classroom, workshop and off-road driving settings.

The post Government deregulation risks undoing years of road safety improvements, says RED Corporate Driver Training appeared first on RED Driving School.

Goods vehicle occupant KSI numbers have increased by 35% in 10 years

Driver training and vehicle safety technology need to work hand-in-hand

The number of drivers and road users killed and seriously injured is back to pre-pandemic levels, and businesses need to take action to reduce this tragic toll, says RED Corporate Driver Training.

The latest road casualty figures for 2022 from the Department for Transport show nearly 1,700 people were killed on Britain’s roads in 2022 while almost 30,000 were seriously injured. Both figures were just below 2019’s figures, and a significant increase on those during the height of the pandemic.

“The reported road casualty figures from 2022 show a worrying return to ‘business as usual’ with the number of people killed and seriously injured heading back to pre-covid levels. We just can’t let this happen. More needs to be done in terms of training, technology and awareness,” said RED Corporate Driver Training CEO Seb Goldin.

“From the businesses we work with, it’s clear that people are travelling less than before the pandemic, using technology to replace some in-person meetings. Yet the number of life changing accidents is almost back to where it was before. It’s a very disturbing trend. Exactly why is hard to pinpoint, but it seems that we’ve lost some experience on our roads – often the more you drive the better you get at identifying risky situations.”

The figures do show that minor incidents have dropped significantly: there were 136,002 casualties of all severities, a decline of 11% compared to 2019.

This is good news, said Goldin, but it also shows a growing divergence between minor and major incidents which RED believes is down to technology and improvements in vehicle safety.

“Clearly there are fewer lower-level injuries as a result of accidents, which is a very positive trend. We believe this is because of the improvements in vehicle safety technology, which are either helping to avoid accidents altogether, or reducing the effect of them if they are unavoidable,” he said.

“But the fact that the KSI numbers refuse to drop illustrates that technology is not a silver bullet that stops all accidents. In fast moving, highly dynamic incidents technology can only do so much and, as a result, to improve road safety it must work hand-in-hand with better driving standards and awareness.

“You cannot forget about the person behind the wheel. They’re still the determining factor in almost all accidents, and technology can only go so far in protecting a bad driver and other road users. Training those drivers better, to recognise shortcomings and see problems before they occur, while using technology as a safety net, is the solution to reducing major accidents.”

One other area of concern, said Goldin, was the increase in KSI numbers for goods vehicle occupants, which over the past decade has risen from 537 to 729 a year – or more than 35% – while the overall casualty numbers have fallen.

“Yet again, we’re seeing a widening gap between a stabilising of overall casualties and the most serious ones, which are on the rise. The logistics and delivery sector is growing, but it cannot come at a higher price in terms of serious injuries and lives lost,” added Goldin.

“We must ensure that all commercial drivers are ready and able to do the job to the best of their abilities, and that behind the wheel they are as safe as they can be.”

ENDS

Further information
Colin Paterson, Corporate Marketing

colin.paterson@redtraining.com

07774 828942

About RED Corporate Driver Training

RED Corporate Driver Training (CDT) is part of the Driving Success Group which also includes one of the UK’s largest multi-award-winning driving schools. The Corporate Driver Training part of the group specialises in the delivery of tailored programmes to reduce the road risks within organisations and improve the safety and efficiency of work-related driving, and has more than 35 years’ experience in service delivery for a wide range of clients including SMEs, not-for-profit and large multi-national organisations. The business is a fully accredited DVSA (Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency) Fleet Training provider, and by training its own trainers, coaches and instructors for corporate and fleet training work, ensures that high standards of quality are applied consistently throughout the UK. RED CDT is accredited to ISO standards: 9001, 27001,14001 and 18001 and has won many business awards for its dedication to customer service. Operating from a specialist training facility at Donington Park race circuit gives clients access to a range of classroom, workshop and off-road driving settings.

The post Worrying return to ‘business as usual’ in post-pandemic road casualties, says RED Corporate Driver Training appeared first on RED Driving School.

The main issue with increased tyre wear in electric vehicles is not the EV, but the way they
are being driven, claims RED Corporate Driver Training.

Although the extra weight and strong acceleration of EVs are given as reasons for increased
tyre wear, with the fleet industry expecting an increase in tyre costs as a proportion of SMR
spend, it is a lack of understanding of how to drive them that is a bigger contributor to costs.
Seb Goldin, CEO of RED Corporate Driver Training, said: “Because EVs tend to be heavier
than their ICE equivalents, they are more likely to be used in stop-start urban environments,
and with higher torque through the driven wheels, fleet managers may be expecting higher
tyre wear rates.

“But driver behaviour is actually by far the most important factor too. EVs are able to get up
to speed quicker, and while they are generally driven more slowly overall, from stationary
they’re often accelerated harder, which wears the tyres out.

“After training, our clients see no more tyre wear for EVs than usual, if they are driven
properly and the unique characteristics of these vehicles are taken into account.
“Not only does this have an effect on reducing costs and wear rates back to expected
norms, it also aligns tyre wear with servicing schedules. This has a safety benefit: those
drivers wearing tyres out far quicker than servicing schedules may mean they are on the
road with illegal, unsafe tyres far longer than they realise.”

To help businesses manage the transition to EVs, RED has launched an EV familiarisation
training course. It’s part of a comprehensive range of driver risk and driver training services,
and includes advice on how and where to charge, using EV features to maximise efficiency
and route planning for better productivity.

RED also suggests the following tips to help your drivers extract the most miles from a
charge…

RED DRM’s 5 top tips for instant power savings

Don’t spill your coffee
The harder you accelerate, the more power you use. In urban areas you can use less by
easing on to the accelerator gently. To be as efficient as possible – imagine a cup of coffee
on the dashboard. Don’t spill it!
 
Drive in a 5mph window
When your speed dips and bursts you use more power and spend more money than you
need to. Many tests have shown that regularly varying your speed up and down by as little
as 5mph can increase your efficiency dramatically.
 
Be nosey, and watch others
Look ahead to see what is coming up and keep a comfortable distance between your vehicle
and the one in front. By looking closely at what pedestrians and other cars are doing, and
imagining what they’ll do next, you can keep your speed as steady as possible and use less
energy (replace: fuel). It’s also safer to drive this way.

Lighten up
Consider the weight carried in the vehicle. Do you need to carry around all the items in your
boot? Weight is the enemy of EV efficiency.

Don’t be a drag
Turning off the regeneration or using an Eco mode on long straight sections can reduce the
drag from the vehicle and thus improve efficiency. Also, why have you still got the roof box
fitted from your half-term family holiday?

The post Increased tyre wear is not the EV’s fault – it is the driver’s, claims RED Corporate<br>Driver Training appeared first on RED Driving School.

With wet weather at the start of the year causing more potholes to appear, councils are struggling to keep on top of road repairs. As a result, more and more drivers are encountering potholes – causing damage to vehicles, huge disruption and cost to business operations while also posing a safety risk to road users.

Seb Goldin, CEO of RED Corporate Driver Training, said: “It seems remarkable that we should have to do this in 2023, but the fact is pothole damage and disruption is now at epidemic proportions. For many businesses it is the main cause of unplanned repairs and downtime, and so we have acted accordingly and added a module to nearly all our courses on how to avoid them, and what to do if you hit one.

“With such a backlog of road repairs, this issue isn’t going away anytime soon, so training and knowledge is the best course of action to help businesses and their drivers solve the problem.”

RED Corporate Driver Training has produced a Pothole Policy document to share with drivers, which includes:

1. Scan the road ahead – usually we urge drivers to look as far ahead as possible, but for potholes you need to keep an eye on the road surface immediately ahead. For the first time, we’re saying ‘eyes down’ rather than ‘eyes up’.
2. Have a plan – if you can get around a pothole, do so and indicate your intention so following cars are alerted to the issue. If the road isn’t clear to overtake, slow down to avoid hitting the pothole at speed.
3. Educate your drivers – if a local road is a known pothole blackspot, instruct your drivers to avoid the road at all costs.
4. If the worst happens and you hit a pothole, find a safe place to stop and inspect your vehicle. Check for bulges in the sidewall of the tyre, which could indicate damage to the carcass. If there is damage to the tyre or vehicle, DO NOT attempt to fix the car at the roadside – call a roadside recovery company who will get you to safety.
5. Finally, report the pothole location at https://www.gov.uk/report-pothole. If the local authority is unaware of the pothole, it can’t fix it.

Seb Goldin added: “Pothole damage and disruption is such an important issue, and it’s not being addressed, so fleets need a strategy to minimise its impact. It’s not just as simple as telling drivers to avoid them – there are so many, and they appear so randomly that it requires training on how to identify them, as often they are hidden under water or at the roadside. Also, sometimes a driver has little choice about hitting one and so there are strategies around how to make good decisions about avoidance and minimising the impact, and also what to do after you’ve hit one.

“So it made sense to add it to most of our courses, as it could ultimately save your company hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds in repairs and downtime to vehicles.”

ENDS

Further information
Colin Paterson, Corporate Marketing

colin.paterson@redtraining.com

07774 828942

About RED Corporate Driver Training RED Corporate Driver Training (CDT) is part of the Driving Success Group which also includes one of the UK’s largest multi-award-winning driving schools. The Corporate Driver Training part of the group specialises in the delivery of tailored programmes to reduce the road risks within organisations and improve the safety and efficiency of work-related driving, and has more than 35 years’ experience in service delivery for a wide range of clients including SMEs, not-for-profit and large multi-national organisations. The business is a fully accredited DVSA (Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency) Fleet Training provider, and by training its own trainers, coaches and instructors for corporate and fleet training work, ensures that high standards of quality are applied consistently throughout the UK. RED CDT is accredited to ISO standards: 9001, 27001,14001 and 18001 and has won many business awards for its dedication to customer service. Operating from a specialist training facility at Donington Park race circuit gives clients access to a range of classroom, workshop and off-road driving settings.

The post RED Corporate Driver Training adds pothole instruction to most courses to battle epidemic appeared first on RED Driving School.

According to the latest data from the Department for Transport, a total of 8,732 women took a practical LGV test in 2021/22 – a 188% increase on a decade ago (2011/12) when 3,024 women took the same test. A test pass enables a person to drive LGVs in the C1 and C1E (3.5-7.5 tonnes/plus trailer) or C and CE (3.7-32 tonnes/plus trailer) categories.

And those women taking the test are also passing in greater numbers – the pass rate for the test has increased from 53% in 2011/12 to 62.4% in 2021/22 – the latter figure exceeding their male counterparts who recorded a 58.7% pass rate.

The official figures reflect RED Corporate Driver Training’s own experience in training female drivers.

Karen Mallin Page, one of the RED Corporate Driver Training trainers, said: “It’s great to see more women being trained, getting qualified and moving into the professional driver industry.

“As a sector, it is more specialised, and requiring more technical expertise, than ever, and as a result women can really thrive in this environment. In terms of training we see increasing numbers of women coming through and their commitment to being trained and getting qualified is second to none. 

“I would encourage any woman thinking of a career as a professional driver to come and speak to us. As a major corporate training provider, we have the facilities at places such as at our Donington headquarters, and support and infrastructure in person and online, to provide a very positive, professional learning experience.”

ENDS

Further information
Colin Paterson, Corporate Marketing

colin.paterson@redtraining.com

07774 828942

About RED Corporate Driver Training RED Corporate Driver Training (CDT) is part of the Driving Success Group which also includes one of the UK’s largest multi-award-winning driving schools. The Corporate Driver Training part of the group specialises in the delivery of tailored programmes to reduce the road risks within organisations and improve the safety and efficiency of work-related driving, and has more than 35 years’ experience in service delivery for a wide range of clients including SMEs, not-for-profit and large multi-national organisations. The business is a fully accredited DVSA (Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency) Fleet Training provider, and by training its own trainers, coaches and instructors for corporate and fleet training work, ensures that high standards of quality are applied consistently throughout the UK. RED CDT is accredited to ISO standards: 9001, 27001,14001 and 18001 and has won many business awards for its dedication to customer service. Operating from a specialist training facility at Donington Park race circuit gives clients access to a range of classroom, workshop and off-road driving settings.

The post RED Corporate Driver Training welcomes trend of more women undertaking training to become large goods vehicle (LGV) drivers appeared first on RED Driving School.

The approach taken by the Welsh Government to reduce the speed limit in built-up areas to 20mph from September 2023 has many benefits, says RED Driver Risk Management, and the rest of the UK should consider adopting it.

Seb Goldin, CEO of RED DRM, said the Welsh Government’s decision was sensible, proportionate and nuanced, ensuring areas of most risk see limits dropped by default to 20mph while some built-up areas can remain at 30mph if proven to be safer. He called on the rest of the UK to adopt a similar approach – especially as the increase in near-silent electric vehicles could cause more danger to pedestrians and cyclists unaware of their presence in urban environments.

“While there are already 20mph limits around the UK, the Welsh Government is going further, and 20mph limits in urban areas can have a positive effect in reducing accidents, while businesses operating in these built-up environments should see this as positive step in road safety. Not least, this will help as firms increase the number of EVs on their fleets,” he said.

“While this decision will undoubtedly receive mixed reviews, the benefits around road safety cannot be ignored. The World Health Organisation states that the most effective way to improve pedestrian safety is to reduce the speed of vehicles. In addition, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) states that 45% of pedestrians get killed when struck by a car going at 30mph or less, but only 5% when going at 20mph or less.

“Critics say it will slow journey times, but our driver training regularly shows there are many techniques that allow you to drive more slowly, yet get to places quicker.”

Goldin said RED DRM would be interested to see any conclusions drawn from studies completed as part of the first phase of the scheme, but also supports the idea that a ‘blanket’ approach to the introduction of 20mph into built-up areas is not the way to go.

“There will be many roads around the country where 30mph will remain an appropriate speed. It can be counter-productive to force drivers to drive more slowly when it is not necessary. They become frustrated and this can lead to mistakes. Therefore, providing local authorities with the power to manage road safety in their local communities seems logical, as long as they introduce limits in the right way,” he added. “As the saying goes ‘knowledge is power’ too, and driver education must be at the forefront of the roll out programme.”

Further to the road safety benefits, recent research by the ‘20s Plenty’ campaign shows that a 20mph limit can reduce CO2 levels and NOx by more than 25%, compared to 30mph. Making roads cleaner, and urban driving more efficient for fleets, are other major benefits said Goldin.

“With many local authorities having already introduced 20mph speed limits in town centres and residential areas, it seems only a matter of time before the wider changes in Wales are adopted by the rest of the UK. Taking the benefits into account, it’s difficult to argue against it,” he added.

For any media or press enquiries contact red@thirdcity.co.uk

About RED DRM
RED Driver Risk Management is part of the Driving Success Group which also
includes one of the UK’s largest multi-award-winning driving schools. The
Driver Risk Management part of the group specialises in the delivery of
tailored programmes to reduce the road risks within organisations and
improve the safety and efficiency of work-related driving, and has more than
35 years’ experience in service delivery for a wide range of clients including
SMEs, not-for-profit and large multi-national organisations. The business is a
fully accredited DVSA (Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency) Fleet Training
provider, and by training its own trainers, coaches and instructors for
corporate and fleet training work, ensures that high standards of quality are
applied consistently throughout the UK. RED DRM is accredited to ISO
standards: 9001, 27001,14001 and 18001 and has won many business awards
for its dedication to customer service. Operating from a specialist training
facility at Donington Park race circuit gives clients access to a range of
classroom, workshop and off-road driving settings.
www.redtraining.com
info@redtraining.com

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