GreenRoad and Staffordshire C.C. Win National Young Driver Safety Award

Staffordshire County Council’s Road Safety team in partnership with GreenRoad Technologies Ltd has scooped The Institute of Highways and Transportation Road Safety Award 2009 for its Young Driver Coaching Programme, beating off stiff competition from major national companies in the Reducing All Casualties category.

The programme allows newly qualified drivers to use the GreenRoad service to monitor their driving performance by measuring up to 120 different risky driving manoeuvres with information, online reports and tools being made available to both the driver and their parents via a secure website to help reduce the number of dangerous manoeuvres the young driver makes.

The Young Driver Coaching Programme brings parents, driving instructors and the road safety unit together right through the first 12 months after passing their test as statistics have shown that almost 40% of those killed or seriously injured on Staffordshire’s roads are aged between 17 and 25 years and one in five will have a crash within 12 months of passing their test.

Staffordshire County Councillor with responsibility for Road Safety, Mike Maryon was delighted with the award. “For the County’s Road Safety team working with GreenRoad to secure another national award in recognition of our efforts to drive down the number of young people killed or seriously injured on our roads is fantastic. The number of road casualties involving young people is a real worry to us and we will continue to lead the way in developing new ideas that will make a difference.”

Hod Fleishman, chief of safety, GreenRoad, added: “The results of Staffordshire’s Young Driver Programme have been impressive. During the pilot scheme, drivers reduced their risk – measured by the number of high-risk driving manoeuvres – by an average of 58%. This recognition from IHT underscores the powerful contribution technology can make to safer driving. And, moreover, safer driving means more economical driving with fuel savings of up to 10 percent.”

The Young Driver Coaching Programme is supported by the Royal Society for the Protection of Accidents and received the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award for technology in 2008.

Author: Amanda White, June 30, 2009
Filed under: Fleet news