Nottinghamshire Driving for Better Business seminar a great success

19 June 2015

The aim of the seminar was to encourage local companies and organisations to adopt and renew their policies on occupational road risk. Managing occupational road risk reduces collisions and casualties whilst also reducing fuel use and emissions. Effective policies reduce costs to companies through savings in both insured and uninsured losses and by law all companies with 5 employees or more should have road risk written into their health and safety policies.

The seminar was attended by 50 delegates from across Nottinghamshire including organisations such as Nottinghamshire County Council, Nottingham Trent University Business School, East Midlands Ambulance Service, Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, Nottingham City Council and the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency. Companies in attendance included; Nottingham City Transport, Speedo, Eon, Logistex and Hayman Quantrill.

There were 7 speakers at the seminar. The keynote was Professor David Crundall from Nottingham Trent University who spoke about hazard perception and mobile phone use. Also speaking was Nottingham based Dr Will Murray who focused on how organisations can effectively use data to drive interventions.

Case studies giving the business case for managing occupational road risk were provided by British Gas and Balfour Beatty amongst others who demonstrated year on year five figure savings to go along with crash reductions.

Local business providers of fleet and road risk services were present promoting the services available to companies in Nottinghamshire. These included:

• Ridewise a sustainable transport charity.
• Midway Driver Training Services who provide eco-driver training.
•  Marshalls Volvo who showcased the new safety technology available on vehicles.

Also in attendance were Kwik Fit who provided free advice on vehicle checks and maintenance and Romex who brought along a driving simulator for delegates to trial.

Melvyn Hodgetts from Driving for Better Business said:

“The Nottinghamshire Seminar was a complete success, showcasing how local authorities and stakeholders can engage with businesses encouraging the adoption of effective policies that have the potential to reduce collisions and casualties across the region, reduce C02 emissions and provide economic benefits through savings to business. This seminar has set a new benchmark for such events.”