The SAFED for Vans initiative (Safe And Fuel Efficient Driving) was set up in January 2006 to provide free or very low cost training to van drivers. Funded by the Department for Transport (DfT), SAFED for Vans enables both individual van drivers and corporate organisations with van fleets to improve road safety and fuel economy. The scheme will be funded and supported by the Department of Transport until March 2010.
The new scheme follows a very successful pilot project, conducted during 2005, that found significant financial and environmental gains could be made by using advanced driving techniques without any noticeable impact on delivery times.
The benefits for a driver and van:
Fewer accidents, lower insurance premiums, lower running costs and higher residual value of
vehicles and a reduction in damaged goods carried by trained drivers.
Benefits for the driver:
- Less stressful driving
- Improved fuel economy
- Reduced driver fatigue
- Significantly reduced chance of being involved in a collision
- No impact on journey time
- Skills can be used when driving private vehicles
Benefits for the Company/Fleet Operator:
- Reduced accidents/incidents by the fleet with associated reduced insurance and excess costs
- Reduced fuel costs through more efficient driving style averaging improvements of 21.9%
- Motivated drivers who have received high quality training
- Introduction to improved fuel management practices to help improve the management of the fleet
- Reduced costs (brakes, gearboxes, clutches and tyres) through improved vehicle sympathy
- Reduction in gear changes has been found to average 33.8%
- Driving faults reduced on average by 62%
- Reduced complaints on driving behaviour and associated damage to company image
- Fulfills Health and Safety compliance
- Case studies are available on the SAFED web-site
The one day course is a mix of classroom and on-the-road tuition and teaches the use of advanced driving techniques such as correct use of gears (avoiding over-revving and use of block gear changing), correct braking technique, (smooth braking), fuel economy and better road awareness (good forward planning). It is a very successful blend of assessment and training that fully involves the driver in the whole process. Training will be carried out in a driver's usual vehicle. At the end of the training day the driver will receive a full debrief and a certificate of achievement.