New campaign focusing on the mental health of commercial vehicle drivers

20 November 2020

A major new campaign focusing on the mental health of commercial vehicle drivers has been launched.

The CALM Driver is a collaboration between Driving for Better Business, the government-backed Highways England programme, and the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM).

It was developed after Statistics from the ONS showed that the suicide rate for van drivers is 25% higher than the national average and 20% higher for truck drivers.  75% of all UK suicides are male, in particular men under 45.

CALM says van and truck drivers of all ages are prone to poor mental health due to unpredictable journey times, traffic congestion, tight deadlines, a high workload, and lack of social interaction which could exacerbate their mental health problems.

As part of the campaign, two videos have been produced. One from England Rugby player Joe Marler aimed at UK van and truck drivers to support them during these challenging times. The other from award-winning comedian and mental health advocate John Ryan - “Man v Van” using humour to impress on drivers that checking their own mental health daily is just as important as checking their vehicle.