Action-packed year for Driving for Better Business
2021 was a year of launches, leadership, partnerships, accolades and awards for Driving for Better Business (DfBB) campaign. delivered in partnership with RoadSafe.
Highlights include:
- Launched and promoted with the Health and Safety Executive revised guidance on ‘Driving and Riding Safely for Work’. The guidance, created jointly by the HSE and the DfT, tells employers what is expected of them when managing work-related road risk.
- New Van Driver Toolkit went live, featuring 30+ free online modules for van driver training, to help make the UK road network safer for all users. Content was developed with the support of National Highways Van Operator Reference Group made up of 40 representatives of some of the best-run van fleets in the UK.
- National Highways won a Fleet News Award for its Driving for Better Business CALM Driver initiative, developed with the Campaign Against Living Miserably suicide prevention charity. Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50 – a demographic that aligns closely with that of truck drivers in the UK.
- Online benchmarking tool launched with the Department for Transport (DfT) and in partnership with leading fleet and driving organisations. Visitors to the site can use the facility to measure and contrast their company’s achievements against others and to give them the know-how to improve their own performance.
- Kicked off a series of podcasts giving real-life insights from experts in fleet, psychology, legal and driving.
- Finalist in the Highways Awards Team of the Year category.
- Rounded off the year with National Highways being granted a Prince Michael International Road Safety Award for its Driving for Better Business programme, cited as taking an “inspiring” and “truly innovative” approach to saving lives and reducing road injuries.
These achievements are neatly summed up in a letter to Nick Harris, Chief Executive of National Highways from HRH Prince Michael of Kent who said: “For many years I have been impressed by the Driving for Better Business campaign initially developed by RoadSafe and am delighted that its key messages and approach have been adopted and developed by your team in National Highways to make it such a well-regarded and sustainable programme.
“Initiatives such as yours which ensure the safe use of vehicles by those who drive for work are of immense importance. The approach taken to promote the critical role of employers in delivering road safety by highlighting the many business benefits that stem from good management is truly innovative. Your programme is a fine example of what can be done by sharing good practice and through inspiring leadership. I am sure it can be replicated elsewhere. Congratulations to you and the team which has made the programme such a notable success.”
National Highways Chief Executive Nick Harris said: “ It is a great honour that we have been recognised for our Driving for Better Business road safety programme, which has successfully improved road safety and brought financial benefits to the many companies that have joined.”