Essential Fleet Manager Magazine recently interviewed Colin Paterson, Head of Marketing at RED Corporate Driver Training, to discuss the crucial role of structured driver training in managing fleet risk and preventing incidents. Colin explained how ongoing education can help improve driver performance, reduce collisions, and ensure organisations meet their legal duty of care—especially as fleets adapt to evolving technologies and road conditions.

Interview

Q: Why is driver training more important than ever for fleets?
Because vehicles alone don’t prevent accidents—drivers do. Regardless of how advanced or well-maintained a fleet is, safety ultimately depends on driver behaviour. Even experienced drivers can develop complacent or risky habits over time. Structured training highlights those behaviours, corrects them, and promotes a safer, more consistent approach to driving.

Q: What types of incidents can driver training help prevent?
The most common types are rear-end collisions, low-speed manoeuvres, and crashes caused by distraction or fatigue. Training helps drivers sharpen core skills like observation, hazard perception, anticipation, and spatial awareness. It also reinforces vital habits related to speed management and smooth braking. While these changes may seem minor, they collectively greatly reduce the likelihood of incidents on the road.

Q: How does RED’s training specifically support incident prevention?
Our programmes are tailored to address the specific needs of each fleet. This includes in-vehicle assessments, defensive driving training, and scenario-based coaching on how to respond safely under pressure. We also focus on driver mindset and behavioural factors, such as stress, complacency, and decision-making, which are often overlooked but crucial for long-term risk reduction. The aim is to develop not only skills but also awareness and confidence.

Q: Are there measurable outcomes from this kind of training?
Absolutely. Fleets consistently report reductions in incident rates and insurance claims after implementing training. Many also experience lower vehicle downtime, reduced maintenance costs, and improved driver morale. The impact is both operational and financial—enhancing safety while supporting the bottom line.

Q: What role does driver training play in compliance?
A crucial point. Under Health and Safety at Work legislation, employers are legally responsible for ensuring that anyone driving for work is competent to do so. That includes company cars, vans, leased vehicles, and grey fleet drivers. Structured training not only develops that competence but also creates an auditable record showing the business has taken proactive steps to manage risk. It’s a key part of meeting duty of care requirements.

Q: As more fleet operators electrify their fleets, does driver training need to evolve—and does RED offer EV-specific training?
Transitioning to electric vehicles is more than just swapping the engine; it requires a different approach behind the wheel. Drivers often carry over assumptions from petrol or diesel vehicles that don’t apply to EVs. That can lead to inefficiencies and, in some cases, avoidable safety risks.

One of the most common issues is range anxiety. Drivers may misunderstand real-world range versus advertised figures or miscalculate how much range they need. Regenerative braking can also confuse—some drivers don’t fully understand its impact on stopping distances or how to use eco modes and preconditioning features effectively.

To support this transition, we offer a full-day EV Familiarisation course. It’s a practical, hands-on programme that covers everything from vehicle setup and energy-efficient driving techniques to charging infrastructure and cable types. We tailor each course to the fleet’s specific operating environment, whether it’s grey fleet or field service drivers, leaving them with the knowledge and confidence to get the best out of their EVs while staying safe.

Q: Are there tangible benefits for fleet operators who invest in EV training?
Yes, without question. Fleets typically see a 10–15% boost in energy efficiency after training, which means greater range, less time spent charging, and smoother day-to-day operations. There’s also a marked reduction in range-related stress and a drop in avoidable incidents, particularly for drivers operating electric vans on tight schedules. Over time, that translates to lower costs, better vehicle uptime, and a more confident workforce.

Q: Some fleets still view training as a ‘nice-to-have’. What would you say to them?
That mindset often changes after a serious incident. The cost of even one collision, factoring in repairs, downtime, insurance, and reputational damage, can far exceed the cost of a comprehensive training programme. If you’re relying solely on driver experience and hoping for the best, you’re taking on unnecessary risk. A single day of training can prevent incidents, save money, and protect lives. That’s not a ‘nice-to-have’—it’s essential.

Q: Any advice for fleet managers looking to improve their driver safety culture?
Start by assessing your current situation, review incident reports, analyse near-miss data, and gather driver feedback. You should make sure this includes grey fleet drivers. Then build a proactive, long-term safety strategy that includes regular training, not just one-off sessions. The most successful fleets are those that treat safety as a continuous improvement process, not a checkbox exercise. Regular communication with your drivers (and their managers) is critical to keep driver safety and good driver behaviour front of mind—and often this can be supported and facilitated with a dedicated driver safety platform.

Q: Any advice for fleet managers looking to improve their driver safety culture?
Start by assessing your current situation, review incident reports, analyse near-miss data, and gather driver feedback. You should make sure this includes grey fleet drivers. Then build a proactive, long-term safety strategy that includes regular training, not just one-off sessions. The most successful fleets are those that treat safety as a continuous improvement process, not a checkbox exercise. Regular communication with your drivers (and their managers) is critical to keep driver safety and good driver behaviour front of mind—and often this can be supported and facilitated with a dedicated driver safety platform.

Take control of fleet risk

RED offers a complete Driver Risk Management programme tailored to fleets of all sizes. The service includes online risk profiling, in-vehicle coaching, and classroom-based modules—all designed to reduce collisions, support legal compliance, and improve driver performance. RED also has their award-winning SafetyFirst customer platform, which is helping fleets manage all of this now, including grey fleet. Visit the website, and why not ask RED for a SafetyFirst demo?

Whether you’re managing recruits, high-mileage drivers, or grey fleet users, RED helps you meet your duty of care while building a safer, more resilient fleet.

Colin Paterson, Head of Marketing, RED Corporate Driver Training.

The post Why Driver Training is essential for Fleet Safety appeared first on RED Driving School.

“We surveyed our nationwide team, who are training hundreds of working drivers every week and, as a result, they have a very clear picture about what causes speeding,” said RED Head of Corporate Greg Ford.

“The worrying issue is that in the majority of cases, untrained drivers are speeding on a regular and sustained basis purely because they either don’t know what the speed limit is, have not understood how fast they should be going, or don’t know the limit for their particular vehicle. No wonder then, that the number of speeding convictions is rising dramatically.”

Recent research by Co-Op Insurance found that there had been a 12% increase in points issued to drivers in Britain in 2024 to just under 10 million penalties, and Ford said he was not surprised.

“The UK road infrastructure is a complex, busy and cluttered environment. Ensuring you are driving at the right speed all of the time requires knowledge and concentration. The penalties for getting this wrong, either accidentally or deliberately, are that you will get caught: the figures show this to be the case. So it is imperative that drivers are up to speed on going the correct speed at all times, or they put themselves, other road users and their
livelihoods at risk.”

RED’s research found that a lack of awareness of speed limits was the number one contributor to speeding.

Lack of speed limit awareness

According to RED’s trainers, around two in five fleet drivers struggle to correctly identify speed limits across different road types. This lack of awareness is especially prevalent among newer drivers or those transitioning into commercial vehicles for the first time.

Trainers report that unintentional speeding due to simple misunderstanding remains one of the most common causes of fleet violations.

Accidental transgression

A lack of concentration leading to accidental transgression of speed limits is the second most prevalent speeding problem.

“Quite simply, drivers aren’t paying enough attention or forget what the limit is. The issue with this is they can spend a long time over the limit, and inevitably they will get caught,” said Ford.

Despite most modern commercial vehicles being equipped with helpful driver aids such as speed limiters and cruise control, many drivers neglect to use them. RED’s trainers reckon that once drivers receive hands-on coaching about these systems’ benefits, usage rises dramatically, and speeding falls as a result.

Not knowing a vehicle’s speed limit

A particularly widespread speeding issue also concerns not knowing the specific speed limits for pick-ups and other commercial vehicles. Many drivers assume these vehicles follow standard car speed limits, but RED’s trainers stress that this is often not the case.

If the unladen weight exceeds 2,040 kg, the vehicle is subject to lower limits: 50 mph on single carriageways and 60 mph on dual carriageways. This misunderstanding arises so frequently that trainers say it comes up at least once a week during courses.

“There’s a really simple solution to this problem: fleet vehicles are increasingly missing in- vehicle speed limit reminder stickers, despite their proven effectiveness and widespread historical use,” said Ford. “Reintroducing stickers could reinforce correct speed limits for specific vehicle types and reduce confusion.”
 

Variable speed limit confusion

Variable speed limits, particularly on smart motorways and within roadworks, are another area of concern. Trainers attribute non-compliance largely to driver inattention or misunderstanding of the signage. Increased awareness and concentration could prevent unnecessary speeding penalties and collisions.

Deliberate speeding

With the rise in the number of speed cameras, RED trainers believe that cases of deliberate speeding are now lower, with many drivers telling them it isn’t worth the risk.

“The prevalence of deliberate speeding will always be hard to prove, because you are asking drivers to admit incriminating behaviour,” said Ford. “But we see the majority of drivers wanting to stay safe and legal – when that letter drops on the mat telling them they’re being prosecuted, most are surprised that it happened. In itself this is just as worrying, because a speeding vehicle presents a hugely increased risk no matter the intention of the driver.”

Simple, targeted education and regular reminders can make a measurable difference to safety and compliance behind the wheel, RED believes, and it continues to work with organisations across the UK to improve driver safety and efficiency through tailored training and risk management.

RED Corporate Driver Training has solutions on offer including e-learning modules for all drivers, which provide a regular and fleet-wide education, but also preventative in-vehicle specific speed awareness training for drivers either showing up on telematics as regular
transgressors, or those receiving endorsements.

“Every single day, our trainers see drivers react with shock when they are shown instances in which they were speeding,” said Ford. “There is a huge need for more education for drivers about keeping within limits, or the damning numbers of prosecutions revealed last week will only continue to climb.”

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. 

The business has an award-winning customer platform, SafetyFirst, that helps fleet controllers and administrators to manage their drivers ensuring compliance, training and control over risk. 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, skid-car and off-road driving settings.

The post RED Corporate Driver Training research reveals most common speeding faults among at-work drivers appeared first on RED Driving School.

The new module will help companies which run heavier electric LCVs, which now no longer need additional driving licence requirements. From June 2025, drivers with a standard UK category B licence will be able to drive electric vans weighing up to 4.25 tonnes – removing the requirement for an additional five hours of training.

RED Corporate Driver Training’s new course has been launched to help employees familiarise themselves with some of the attributes of these zero-emission vans, such as their increased weight and the impact this has on handling and braking. As well as taking place at RED’s Donington Park training centre, the sessions will be offered nationwide at traffic-free locations.

In addition, the course will offer familiarisation with ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) such as lane keeping assist and collision mitigation systems which are fitted to these new electric vans, but which drivers may not have experienced before with older diesel vans.

Greg Ford, Head of Corporate at RED, said:

As well as physical training, RED is also offering companies an online training module through its Safety First risk management platform.

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/

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 Corporate Driver Training launches new e-LCV training module to help fleets transition from diesel to electric vans appeared first on RED Driving School.

Driving for work, whether commuting, making deliveries or attending meetings, is among the most hazardous activities we perform – yet it’s often neglected. UK stats indicate there are still around 1,700 road deaths a year and some 30,000 seriously injures, so there’s more to be done in 2025 and beyond to reduce these stats and their associated – and significant – costs.

Where better to start trying to do something about those figures than to protect and support your business? Surely that’s much better than doing nothing and leaving things to chance. RED offers a range of services to ensure that driver safety and compliance remain priorities for businesses, such as regular refresher checks, training and licence verification.

New employees are a particular focus because it’s the best time to influence driving behaviours. It’s crucial for businesses to clearly communicate their expectations regarding driving skills and attitude. Knowing what vehicles employees will drive, where they will drive them and when helps in creating a formal training plan for each driver, emphasising safety for both employees and other road users.

When incidents inevitably occur, targeted training interventions are available for drivers identified as high-risk. Specialist drivers can get specialist training (and should!). All drivers must be reminded regularly that safety comes first. The moral implications of road traffic accidents are significant, affecting victims, families and friends. Additionally, there are financial and legal reasons to adopt a proactive driver risk approach.

Formats for flexibility

RED Corporate Driver Training has developed ‘SafetyFirst’, an online control and support system. This cloud-based platform helps organisations manage their drivers effectively and ensure compliance. You can find out more about the benefits of the system at the Great British Fleet Event on 8 May 2025.

The system can be accessed by fleet controllers, administrators and drivers to ensure accurate driver profiles, periodic licence checks and timely e-learning and on-road training interventions. Prevention is better than cure – and strong support from top management is essential.

RED supports clients through various levels and phases. Ideally, this involves a regular driving assessment programme with tailored e-learning modules covering areas such as parking, long-distance driving, fatigue management, speed control, urban and rural driving and much more.

Different people learn in different ways and have varying work pressures, so the training programme should be pragmatic and effective. In addition to online assessments and education, RED offers workshops, webinars and practical on-road training. This includes advanced driving techniques, skid control, HGV licence acquisition and trailer towing training at the RED Corporate Driver Training Centre at Donington Park in the East Midlands. We also provide 4×4 off-road training for specific work needs at RED Donington.

RED’s training embraces new technologies, delivered by knowledgeable trainers. Driver assistance technology is becoming more common, but many businesses don’t realise their staff may not fully understand them. We offer ADAS (automatic driver assistance systems) content to explain how to maximise the safety benefits of features such as automatic emergency braking, intelligent speed assistance and lane assist.

Wider safety strategy

A comprehensive road and driver risk programme is key. Share policies widely and enthusiastically within the business and offer a blended range of training content in different formats to appeal to all drivers, even those who are cynical, stubborn or time-poor. Choosing the right partner is crucial. Work with a trusted partner who has a continuous commitment to road and driver safety as a core mission and offers flexibility and a genuine understanding of your needs.

Further information
Colin Paterson, Head of Marketing

colin.paterson@redtraining.com

The post Fleet Management: The right time to train drivers appeared first on RED Driving School.

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.