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IAM this week have warned against a possible move to a European MoT system, as set out in a new EU directive, that sees cars taking their first test at anytime before their fourth birthday and biannually thereafter, as opposed to our current three-one-one cycle that sees new vehicles tested at three years old and every year after this.

IAM’s latest poll showed that only 29 per cent of people think we should move to a European cycle, with the majority of those asked confident in the current system and happy any vehicle problems will be exposed by the test. However, 40 per cent of respondents felt there is no consistency between testing garages and 26 per cent suspect some garages of deliberately finding problems as a way of making money, issues that IAM believe should be raised in a review before any changes are passed or even considered by the government.

IAM are also concerned that whilst 27 per cent of UK cars fail their first MoT, only 6 per cent of French cars fail, even though they are older vehicles.

“In a time when people are struggling financially, the MOT seems to be one cost they are happy to pay. The IAM is wary of abandoning our well-established and accepted cycle of MOT testing. The poll suggests that most motorists are happy with it.

“But the question needs to be asked, why are so many cars in the UK failing at only three years, and why does France have a much better pass rate at four years? Before any change to the system, the government should commission a review to assure motorists that MOT tests are safe, reliable and consistent. The test should be for the benefit of road safety – not the garages that carry it out," says IAM chief executive Simon Best.

We would love to hear your views on the matter.

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Met office weather forecasts show that an increased risk of snow and ground frost in most areas is on its way and Europe Assistance is offering advice to drivers the length and breadth of the UK in avoiding breaking downs and possible accidents.

1. Preparation: You should allow extra time for your journey so get up early. Carry a mobile phone, ice scraper and de-icer, as well as things like a torch, first-aid kit and warning triangle for longer trips. Avoid B roads as they will likely be blocked. Modern cars tempt us to travel light but be sure to have a warm coat and shoes with you;
2. Vision & visibility: The low sun can dazzle drivers in the winter, especially when it reflects off white snow and ice. Ensure windscreens are clean and clear of debris. Use a proper additive to reduce the chances of wiper fluid freezing – do not make the mistake of using regular antifreeze. Check your headlights regularly to ensure they work properly. In poor visibility you can use fog lights too, but make sure they don’t dazzle other drivers;
3. Tyres: Before you travel, inspect tyres for pressure, condition and tread depth. In the winter it is recommended you have at least 3mm of tread, significantly more than the legal limit of 1.6mm. Carry a spare tyre and if at all possible make sure you know how to fit it if required. Reducing tyre pressure to get grip does not work and reduces stability, don’t do it. You only need snow chains in extreme circumstances but if you live in a remote area with heavy snow, ensure you know how to fit them and when to use them. Using snow chains in normal conditions will ruin the road surface;
4. Driving: Drive carefully – remember stopping distances are up to 10 times longer in icy weather. Do not force the vehicle into sudden manoeuvres and use second gear when pulling away to prevent wheel spins. Apply brakes gently and try to climb hills at constant speeds. If you get stuck, use a shovel to clear snow and put an old rug under the tyres to get going again;
5. Antifreeze: Check antifreeze levels before the winter sets in. Components most at risk of cracking and freezing are the water pump, cylinder block, and radiator. Do not mix different types of antifreeze as this may cause sludge to build in the engine. If in doubt, visit a garage;
6. Battery/electrics: Using lights, heaters and windscreen wipers is essential in the winter, but this will wear the battery, so replace it regularly. Try not to run car electrics any longer than necessary – switch heated windows off when they are clear and keep the heater fan on a low setting to conserve power.

Route Monkey have developed an unique scheduling system for Electronic Vehicles, after receiving £50,000 of investment from the Finance for Business North East Technology Fund to help facilitate its expansion plans.

The scheduling system has been designed to allow fleet managers to confidently use commercial EV’s on a daily basis, removing range anxiety by identifying the best-located or optimally-charged EVs for their delivery and collection requirements.

In addition to securing funding, Route Monkey have also embarked on a strategic partnership with Smith Electric Vehicles via their telematics system Smith Link™, which will interface directly with the new scheduling system.

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This week is Road Safety week and the event – coordinated by road safety charity Brake – has the theme ‘Too Young to Die’ hopes to raise awareness of needless tragedies involving younger drivers and how these can be prevented.

Backing this campaign are thousands of organisations, schools and community groups around the UK who will be playing their part in getting the message across. Some examples of those organisations taking part are:

• Balfour Beatty Plant & Fleet Services will run a series of Beep Beep! Days in partnership with local primary schools, which is crucial work in conveying important messages to young children about staying safe by the roadside. Children will be sponsored to take part in the fun days to raise crucial funds for Brake’s work supporting families bereaved by road crashes;
• DHL Supply Chain and Bassetlaw District Council will hold two hard hitting road safety awareness presentations at Harworth and Bircotes Town Hall on Friday 25th November;
• Suttons Transport will run road safety workshops for staff. The hard hitting workshops focus on the devastation large vehicles can cause when driven badly. The company will promote key messages, such as the need to drive within the speed limits, without alcohol, and with seatbelts buckled at all times.

“It’s fantastic to see so many fleet operators taking part in Road Safety Week, helping to get across life-saving messages to staff, customers and local communities. The commitment and involvement of the industry is so important to this flagship event, and those who get involved can benefit by using the Week as springboard for promoting road safety internally and getting more involved with the local community.

“The focus of our campaign this year is tackling the terrible loss of young lives on our roads, and helping young people to be safer. We are calling on young drivers – and drivers of all ages – to ‘have a heart at the wheel’: to show compassion, acknowledge they have lives in their hands, and pledge to drive safely. We are also calling on the government to implement graduated driver licensing to help inexperienced drivers to be safer, in light of evidence that this would prevent thousands of needless deaths and injuries each year,” commented Julie Townsend, campaigns director at Brake.

Also backing this year’s campaign is Arval who will be running its fifth annual Road Safety Quiz for local schools with more than 60 Year 11 pupils across the Swindon area expected to take part. They will also be running safety workshops for employees to impress upon them the terrible consequences of poor driving and ensure they have the tools they need to reduce their road risk.

“We are passionate about sharing safety messages with our employees, and encouraging them to take those messages home to their families and friends. Young or old, any life lost on our roads is a tragedy and we are committed to reminding our staff, and the community, of their personal responsibilities and educating them on how they can mitigate the risks that we all face, each and every time we drive," comments Tracey Scarr, Fleet & Road Safety Manager at Arval.

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And finally, head of driver training, Simon Elstow at IAM Drive & Survive is this week offering advice to motorists on how to drive in the fog.

Elstow says: "Don’t underestimate the effect fog has on your perception of speed. Adjusting your driving to the weather conditions will help you to become a better driver."

1. Before setting off, clean your windows and windscreen and ensure all your lights are working;
2. Let others know you are likely to be delayed;
3. When you’re ready to leave, switch on the dipped headlights. Only use front and rear fog lights where visibility is less than 100 metres;
4. Use your windscreen wipers on an intermittent setting to clear the fine mist that collects on there;
5. Slow down and keep enough distance between yourself and the vehicle in front. Make sure you can stop safely within the distance you can see clearly;
6. Avoid relying on the vehicle in front as a guide to hazards ahead. Fog makes it more difficult to judge how hard vehicles are braking and they might be slow to react;
7. Brake gently but earlier than usual so your brake lights warn drivers behind;
8. At junctions, wind the window down and listen for traffic.
9. Take high-visibility clothing in case you have to leave the car.
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That’s it for another seven days so until next week please drive carefully whether through, rain, snow or fog and ensure, if you have not already done so that you have your emergency pack ready in your car – you never know when you might need it. TTFN for now dear drivers and don’t forget to share your views with us using the comments box below…

More than 4,500 interviews, covering 15 countries, were conducted earlier this year as part of operational leasing and fuel management company Arval’s study which revealed CO2 reporting, CO2 optimisation of car policy and eco driver training as the top three services fleet bosses would be most interested in.

Mike Waters, Director of Market Insight at Arval, said it was clear that the environment remains high on the fleet agenda.

He commented: “With the full range of costs directly linked to the environment, in particular through vehicle taxation which is focused on emissions, it is a crucial area for any fleet manager to address.”

In spite of this ecological mindset, the research found that barely half of companies with more than 100 employees are actually tracking carbon emissions.

Surprising neglect

This was puzzling, added Mr Waters: “Whatever the motivation, there is clearly a desire amongst companies to manage their environmental impact, which is why it’s surprising that many neglect to measure their CO2.

“Without this information, which is easy to obtain through fuel card data, it is very difficult to set realistic reduction targets or monitor ongoing company performance and let’s not forget that reducing CO2 directly equates to reductions in overall running costs.”

Mr Waters hoped that the management of environmental impact would now take centre stage.

He concluded: “The combination of cost savings, organisational reputation and the genuine desire to operate in a sustainable manner provide a compelling case to manage environmental impact – however, this research shows that many fleets still have some way to go in doing this effectively.”

The leasing and fuel management company placed a CO2 emissions cap on all of their vehicles and gathered the most efficient vehicles into a special ‘ECO group’, comprising sub 110g/km vehicles.

Besides the usual tax breaks and lower running costs low emitting vehicles bring, nearly all employees selecting a vehicle from this group receive the incentive of a trade down allowance from Arval; a monthly payment included within their salary.

A quarter of drivers that have taken delivery of a new company car in the last 12 months at Arval have chosen a vehicle from the ECO group. Some vehicles have gone the extra mile and achieved less than 99g/km.

Efficient

Vehicles such as the BMW 320 Efficient Dynamics, VW BlueMotion, Ford Econetic and more efficient versions of the Mini Cooper and the Audi A3 1.6 made the coveted ECO group.

Tracey Scarr, Arval’s Fleet & Road Safety Manager, said: “Our new choice list has proven to be very successful in influencing the vehicle selection habits of many of our employees and reducing the average emissions of our fleet.

“With average CO2 falling to 128g/km in less than a year, this provides a clear demonstration of how a well thought out choice list can positively shape behaviour.”

She added: “Our whole life cost approach means that the choice list remains broad and we are by no means forcing drivers to select the greenest vehicles. However, with environmental performance and costs directly linked, selecting more efficient cars has become a compelling choice for many Arval employees.”

Findings from a survey published by The Times last week reckoned that businesses lost £1.3 billion of the £9.9 billion paid in expenses to fraudulent and out-of-policy claims. Of this £9.9 billion, 35% was made up of business travel.

Fuel card supplier Arval believes this could be quashed with the wider uptake of fuel cards which allow the employer to accurately monitor driver fuel spend and reimburse them the exact amount.

“When reimbursing employees for fuel expenses, it is important to have controls in place to protect both the employer and the claimant,” commented Jenny Powley, a Sales Director at Arval – one of Europe’s leading fleet and fuel management company.

“This survey demonstrates that without a fuel card policy in place, the temptation to exaggerate fuel expenses, or to make an honest error in submitting a claim, will remain.

“Historically, because fuel usage can be difficult for an employer to monitor it can provide an easy target for some business drivers. The best thing that businesses can do is to implement a fuel card policy which takes the uncertainty out of fuel claims.”

Managing costs

Research from expense management provider GlobalExpense also shows that 41% of mileage claims were approved without a receipt, spelling a loss of £124 million in VAT that businesses which failed to recover in 2010.

Fuel cards eradicate this problem because one consolidated invoice is produced, making it easy to recover 100% of business VAT on fuel purchases. This means that drivers are not required to collect and retain individual VAT receipts every time they make a purchase.

Powley adds: “Managing costs has never been more important and companies can’t afford to take a laissez-faire attitude. VAT is a prime example, where retrieving and collating large numbers of driver receipts provides a significant administrative task.

“Fuel cards totally remove this burden, delivering a single consolidated invoice which makes it easy for business to claim all of the business fuel VAT that they are entitled to.

“It is essential for any company to reimburse employees fairly but without overpaying expenses. With fuel making up a quarter of the cost of vehicle ownership it remains a crucial cost to control.”

Arval is investing significantly in technology to improve fleet efficiency and has a comprehensive range of products covering contract hire, fleet management, fuel management, leasing, personal motoring schemes, accident management, breakdown recovery and short term hire.

Organised by road safety charity Brake, the awards, which are part of the Fleet Safety Forum, will acknowledge the efforts of businesses working tirelessly to increase fleet safety across ten categories.

Held at Alton Towers in Staffordshire on 9 June, the evening will also include a drinks reception, three course dinner with wine, casino, disco and other entertainment.

“If you are in the business of fleet safety, then you must be at this important networking event and you should enter the awards,” said a spokesperson for Brake.

The categories include:

• Company Driver Safety Award for the organisation that has implemented initiatives that do most to promote safe driving among employees (sponsored by FleetMaster (OSS) Ltd)
• Eco Fleet Award for the organisation that has done the most to improve safety and the environment by introducing green initiatives, from innovative travel plans, to fuel efficient driving and more (sponsored by Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions)
• Fleet Safety Analysis and Action Award for the organisation that has implemented the most effective procedures for carrying out risk assessments, crash data analysis, and introducing tailored interventions (sponsored by Fleet Support Group)
• Fleet Safety Innovation Award for the fleet service provider or fleet operator that has developed a pioneering approach to fleet safety in 2010 with greatest success (sponsored by Castrol)
• Fleet Safety Partnership Award for the fleet service provider and fleet operator partnership that has delivered the most outstanding results (sponsored by Licence Bureau Limited)
• Fleet Safety Product Award for the product that does the most to improve fleet safety through innovation (sponsored by Johnson & Johnson)
• Road Safety in the Community Award for the organisation that has worked hardest with its local community to improve road safety for all road users (sponsored by Kingsmill)
• Safe Vehicles Award for the organisation that has implemented the most effective maintenance procedures and technology to improve the safety of its vehicles (sponsored by 3M)
• Road Risk Manager of the Year Award for the risk or fleet manager who has implemented exemplary road risk management policies with proven results (sponsored by Balfour Beatty Plant & Fleet Services)
• Kevin Storey Award for Outstanding Commitment to Road Safety for the organisation or individual that has gone above and beyond the call of duty in its commitment to road safety, not just within the company but also the wider community. Organisations cannot enter this Award themselves, but can nominate someone else within the industry by emailing forum@brake.org.uk.

It is free to enter but any companies wishing to be in with a shout are required to book at least one seat at the gala dinner and awards ceremony. The awards are open to all kinds of organisations, whether you’re commercial, public sector, or not-for-profit.

Entries are being considered up until the 1 April closing date. Click here to download your entry form, and if you are struggling to fill it out, see guidance notes provided by Brake here.

Submit your completed entry form to forum@brake.org.uk.

The Fleet Safety Forum Awards 2011 are sponsored by Arval.

Less than a third (28%), said they look for a Euro NCAP rating when purchasing cars and vans. Only 42% said their policies considered duty of care. 41% said there were no requirements for specific safety equipment in vehicles, and substantial numbers were unaware of, or uninterested in, the latest electronic safety technologies.

In the UK, more than 150 vehicles driven on company business crash each day. Every year, an estimated 7000 deaths and injuries on UK roads involve at-work drivers. Business pays for this.

Adrian Walsh, RoadSafe director, says, “Fleet decision makers rightly focus on driver behaviour, but many seem to overlook the importance of buying or leasing safe vehicles.

“They must look out for those equipped with the latest technology, such as Electronic Stability Control, and those with the highest Euro NCAP ratings. There is a strong business case for investing in eSafety in fleets. Evidence from our campaign partners proves this.”

RoadSafe runs the government-backed campaign, Driving for Better Business. The programme is supported by organisations, which recognise the benefits of procuring vehicles with eSafety systems.

Arval UK is one such business. The fleet and fuel management company only purchases vehicles for its drivers that have ESC, and it provides a strong business case for employing eSafety.

Between 2007 and 2009, the number of incidents in Arval’s fleet fell from 40% to 25%. Since 2003/04, this ongoing decline has helped cut fleet repair costs by more than 50%.

Arval says investment in eSafety technologies has helped to achieve this. Compulsory extras in its fleet already included Advanced Braking Systems and reverse parking sensors, and in July 2008, ESC was also made a mandatory safety feature on all new company cars.

Arval fleet & road safety manager, Tracey Scarr, says, “Around 40% of fatal road accidents are a result of skidding and studies show that ESC will dramatically reduce this. Obviously, there is no substitute for careful driving, but this is a valuable safety feature that will help reduce the risk of death or serious injury for our drivers.

“The benefits are broad as ESC does not just make drivers safer, it also helps fleets meet their ongoing duty of care responsibilities, and reduce their accident costs. With this in mind we believe that fleets should be making the technology a standard requirement when selecting vehicles.”  

In light of its success in improving safety, Arval has won the Fleet Safety Award at this year’s eSafety Challenge. The event takes place today (13 July) at Millbrook Proving Ground, to promote the benefits of eSafety across Europe.

Now in their 10^th year, and sponsored by ARVAL, these prestigious awards recognise the achievements of those working to help reduce the number of costly, and in many cases fatal, road crashes involving at-work drivers. Last year’s winners included Balfour Beatty, Fleet Support Group, Gateshead Council and Royal Mail.

Entries are invited from organisations running any type of fleet, and from companies that provide products or services to fleets, who have worked to improve safety. Awards are available in ten categories:

1. Road Risk Manager of the Year Award for the risk or fleet manager who has implemented exemplary road risk management policies with proven results.
2. Company Driver Safety Award for the organisation that has implemented initiatives that do most to promote safe driving among employees.
3. Fleet Safety Analysis and Action Award for the organisation that has implemented the most effective procedures for carrying out risk assessments, crash data analysis, and introducing tailored interventions.
4. Safe Vehicles Award for the organisation that has implemented the most effective maintenance procedures and technology to improve the safety of its vehicles.
5. Eco Fleet Award for the organisation that has done the most to improve safety and the environment by introducing green initiatives, from innovative travel plans, to fuel efficient driving and more.
6. Road Safety in the Community Award for the organisation that has worked hardest with its local community to improve road safety for all road users
7. Fleet Safety Provider of the Year Award for the fleet service provider that has offered outstanding services to improve fleet safety
8. Fleet Safety Product Award for the product that does the most to improve fleet safety through technology
9. Vehicle Manufacturer Award for safe vehicle design
10. Kevin Storey Award for Outstanding Commitment to Road Safety for the organisation or individual that has gone above and beyond the call of duty in its commitment to road safety, not just within the company but also the wider community. Organisations cannot enter this Award themselves, but can nominate someone else within the industry by emailing fleetsafetyforum@brake.org.uk

To see a full list of last year’s results, visit www.brake.org.uk, click on Events, then Fleet Safety Awards.

Whether entering an award or not, organisations are invited to attend the awards dinner, which will include a drinks reception, three course meal, and an evening of entertainment, fundraising and dancing! Tickets cost £95 each or £900 for a table of ten. As an extra incentive, a year’s subscription to the Fleet Safety Forum is FREE with every table booking.

A charity auction and casino will take place on the night, with all funds going to Brake, the road safety charity, to help fund their life-saving educational work and care services for road crash victims.

To book tickets for the dinner dance or request an entry form contact Brake on 01484 559909 or fleetsafetyforum@brake.org.uk. Entry forms must be returned by email by Friday 30 April 2010.

Arval showcased two key initiatives that support the company’s long term commitment to improve the safety of its customers, business drivers and all other road users: The first was the Arval Road Safety Forum, an industry-leading working party that has been crucial in sharing ideas, good practises and spreading safety messages amongst corporate companies. The second was the Arval Road Safety Seminar which brings companies face to face with the often shattering consequences of an accident, using real victims and professionals from the emergency services to provide a powerful message.

Both initiatives are the first-of-their-kind and form important elements of Arval’s wider commitment to road safety. Underpinned by a Road Safety Charter and steered by a Road Safety Committee, road safety is an important part of Arval’s overall Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) approach. This has included Arval signing up to the EU Road Safety Charter and becoming a RoadSafe ‘Business Champion’.

The judges commented: “Arval’s initiatives are really making a difference to fleet operators. It is putting safety at the centre of fleet culture by providing an environment where companies can share best practice. It is refreshing to see a leasing company take an altruistic approach – it’s not selling a service, it’s giving something of value to fleets.”

Arval Chief Executive Officer, Jean-Marc Torre, collected the Safety award at the black tie ceremony held at the Grosvenor House Hotel, in front of more than a thousand key players from the fleet and automotive industries.

In 2009 Arval won four major industry awards spanning the areas of innovation, customer service, leading products and driver safety. In winning this latest award, Arval has shown that it full intends continuing that trend into 2010.

As a holder of  ISO 14001 certification, Arval has been capping the CO2 of its 315 strong company car fleet since 2008 when the ceiling was 160g/km, resulting in the major decline in the average CO2 of the fleet.  Arval has now gone a step further in its mission to reduce emissions further by reducing the 160g/km ceiling and encouraging employees to be greener in their vehicle selection.

The new choice list is underpinned by Arval’s True Cost of Operations (TCO) approach which focuses on whole life costs and is restricted by CO2 thresholds. Arval’s Fleet & Road Safety Manager worked with the Arval Consulting team to set maximum CO2 limits for each entitlement band as well as pulling the most efficient vehicles into a special ‘ECO group’ which is made up of a range of sub 110g/km vehicles, with some emitting less than 99g/km.

CO2 thresholds under the new policy:

Cars within the ‘Eco group’ include the new BMW 320 Efficient Dynamics, VW BlueMotion and Ford Econetic models as well as efficient versions of the Mini Cooper and the new Audi A3 1.6 with a CO2 of 99g/km. Hybrid models such as the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius are also featured on this list.

An additional incentive to the normal tax breaks and reduced running costs that low emitting vehicles bring, is that nearly all employees selecting a vehicle from this group will receive the incentive of a trade down allowance from Arval; a monthly payment included within their salary.

This approach gives the fleet manager the power to ensure that vehicles used by company drivers provide acceptable mpg performance and CO2 emissions as well as promoting the move to a lower emitting, more efficient vehicle an attractive option for drivers.

Tracey Young, Fleet & Road Safety Manager comments: “As with previous choice lists, we expect this initiative to deliver a further reduction in our average fleet emissions as more Arval drivers opt for cleaner and more efficient vehicles allowing them to reduce their environmental impact as well as their costs.”

“While the list provides an environmental focus our whole life cost approach means that there remains a wide variety of vehicles for employees to choose from. With the manufacturers now delivering a wave of cleaner vehicles, and many under 110g/km, the greener option is often a compelling one.”

“With the market moving at such a pace, we expect the introduction of cleaner and more efficient vehicles to continue, so our choice list is something that we will continue to review and refine on an ongoing basis.”

The choice list is one of several sustainable initiatives that Arval has introduced to make its fleet ‘greener’ with the company also involved in two electric vehicle trials. For the past two years Arval has had a Smart EV on its fleet, available for employees to use on short journeys and an effective way of demonstrating how electric vehicles can successfully play a specific role within a vehicle fleet. Arval is also taking part in the Technology Strategy Board’s electric vehicle trial with an employee using a Mitsubishi i-MiEV as their primary car for the next 12 months, testing its practicality and reporting back on their experience.

Audi lease prices
Audi new and nearly new prices
BMW lease prices
BMW new and nearly new prices
Ford lease prices
Ford new and nearly new prices
Mini lease prices
Mini new and nearly new prices
Volkswagen lease prices
Volkswagen new and nearly new prices

Steve Clarke said: “The invention of this spurious ‘issue’ is laughable. They suggest that drivers have to deviate from their routes to refuel if using branded fuel cards. Remember, these so-called ‘restricted’ fuel cards are for such networks as BP, Esso, Shell, Texaco and so on. Even a driver who forgets to refuel until their warning light comes on still has several miles’ worth of fuel in the tank. What kind of route could they possibly be on that would not soon take them past their chosen brand of service station?”

He put the ‘restricted’ suggestion into perspective, saying: “A driver carrying a Shell fuel card, for example, has access to more than 1,100 sites nationwide. There are in excess of 1,200 facilities in BP’s national network. If the driver is ‘restricted’ to Texaco, they can refuel at over 1,700 service stations across the country and so on. This ‘route deviation’ idea is a complete red herring, which would only make sense if the major brand facilities were rare. The ‘route deviation’ suggestion becomes even more ridiculous when you realise that it has been common for years for drivers to carry more than one brand of fuel card.”

Steve Clarke explained why, he believes, the spurious claims have been made. He said: “It is all about money and the sums are very simple. Picture two drivers, each from a fleet of 100 trucks and both refuelling fortnightly. The one using a ‘no discounts’ card from Arval to fill up with 1,000 litres of diesel will pay, at today’s national average price, £1,140. The other driver at the next pump, using a different fuel card to buy his 1,000 litres with a typical discount, will pay £1,115. Now, multiply that £25 discount by 25 refuellings annually and you can see a yearly difference of £625 per truck. Over the year, the 100-strong fleet using the ‘no discounts’ fuel card will spend £62,500 more on diesel.”

He called upon fleet managers to ignore the misleading claims. He said: “Use some common sense. A fuel card supplier which can not – or will not – offer discounts has got to find something to attack its competitors who can offer its customers massive savings. Route deviation? It is nonsense and, although you can not blame them for trying, Arval knows very well that it is nonsense.”

The Fuelcard People offer impartial, independent, advice and a broad choice of cards from leading brands including BP, Esso, Shell, Texaco and Diesel Direct (Keyfuels).

Bernice Brady, Group Coordinator for the Help for Heroes charity who will be visiting Swindon based Arval this week to collect the cheque for the £2,000 donation explained:

“Help for Heroes is a Tri Service charity, dedicated to helping wounded servicemen and women. It was set up in October 2007 by Bryn and Emma Parry and to date has raised over a staggering £39M, which is all down to people like the staff at Arval. Help for Heroes is continually humbled by people’s amazing efforts and generosity!”

Jean-Marc Torre, Chief Executive Officer at Arval will be present to hand over the cheque, supported by members of the Arval Cares Committee who were instrumental in Arval’s fundraising efforts.

Elaine Mowbray, Head of the Arval Cares Committee comments,

“We are delighted to be able to hand over such a large amount to Help for Heroes which is an excellent charity providing crucial support for our wounded servicemen and women. All of the charities that we support are nominated by our employees and Help for Heroes is a charity that they genuinely care about.”

Sam Knox, Chairman of Ballymoney Road Safety Committee, organised the “Driving for Better Business” Seminar. He commented that “Tracey was invited the deliver the seminar’s keynote address in recognition of her achievements and expertise in this field.”

Holding the Driving for Better Business “Business Champion” status allows Arval, the leading fleet and fuel management company in Europe, to act as an example to other organisation on how to deliver and support road safety best practice for customers. The Driving for Better Business campaign is designed to raise awareness of the importance of work-related road safety in the business community and public sector by using advocates drawn from these communities to promote the business benefits of managing it effectively.

Tracey comments: “Road safety is crucial in terms of staff wellbeing, company reputation, cost management and meeting legal obligations. As well as keeping employees and other road users safe, improving road safety performance provides tangible benefits to the business, especially important in the current economic climate.”

She adds,“As a ‘Driving for Better Business’ Champion we want to continue sharing and implementing best practice as well as developing new initiatives to ensure that improving road safety remains at the top of the business agenda.”

Tracey used her experience of raising the profile of road safety within Arval to present a case study to the sixty-five delegates attending the event. It is hoped that Tracey’s story will inspire the business community to follow Arval’s example. Arval is well known within its industry and the wider business community for a commitment to road safety. This commitment saw Arval win a Prince Michael International road safety award last year as well as a BRAKE road safety award. Arval is also one of a select group of businesses to have signed up to the EU road safety charter.