In 2009 more than a thousand lorry drivers died in crashes across Europe, 60% of them were drivers of vans or 7.5 tonners.

Bicycle and motorcycle couriers, van and lorry drivers, chauffeurs, and bus and coach drivers are particularly at risk of death in a road accident or suffering non-fatal injuries – that is aside from all the other workplace safety risks.

Drivers work independently, away from a fixed base. They often have long experience as drivers and are not always receptive to change. This means that they are not always easy to communicate or consult with.

Because of this, drivers need to be intimately involved in solutions. Solutions need to be developed by drivers for drivers, using participatory methods, in order to use their experience and gain their understanding and acceptance.

It is also crucial to allow sufficient time to discuss, plan, trial and introduce changes.

These are the messages from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), which has launched a new website to help keep drivers safe: http://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/factsheets.

It has always been a core philosophy of Cardinus that trainers who are experienced in, and understand these industries, will always achieve a greater degree of success in helping to train delegates to accept and understand changes.

Drivers can be reluctant to listen to messages from those who they perceive as ‘not really understanding their job’. But when they are in discussion with someone with experience and knowledge of the problems they face, barriers to learning begin to disappear and the willingness to absorb new ideas comes into play.

If you would like to talk to us about how we might help you to set and achieve your driver safety goals please call Cardinus Fleet on 01733 426015 or email fleet@cardinus.com.