TTC Group

Reducing work related road crashes in Telford “and beyond” is the aim of a major seminar being staged in the town on May 14 by road safety experts, the TTC Group, working for Telford & Wrekin Council.

Together they want to cut the number of crashes on roads in Telford and the surrounding area involving drivers driving as part of their job.

Employees who drive for work are responsible for one out of every three crashes on the roads with speed being a major factor, warned Colin Pettener, of Telford’s TTC Group, an organisation which is a UK leader in educating drivers and specialise in corporate driver education. The Princess Royal gave her support to the company when she performed the opening ceremony of their new HQ in Telford last October.

Company directors, managers, those responsible for health and safety in the workplace, human resources directors, fleet vehicle operators and staff who drive for work are invited to attend the event at the Holiday Inn, Telford from 9.15am to 3.30pm.

“Managing occupational road risk is not driver training. It is about helping firms to make a contribution to the reduction of casualties on the roads of Telford & Wrekin and beyond while at the same time driving up their profits because they have a safer, less costly fleet of company drivers,” said Mr Pettener, a former road safety officer for Shropshire, who received the MBE for services to road safety.

The seminar, which is a partnered event with the Association of Industrial Road Safety Officers, aims to give managers and their drivers the opportunity to consider the “problems, risks and practical solutions” associated with everyday driving, he said.
 
Councillor Steve Bentley, lead member for the environment from Telford & Wrekin Council, said: “Telford & Wrekin have a good safety record but we are always looking for ways to improve safety on our roads. As one in three road accidents involves a vehicle being driven for work, we fully support this initiative to educate local drivers and employers on occupational road safety.”

The seminar will include the impact on a company and individuals of the Health and Safety at Work legislation and the new Corporate Manslaughter Act as well as the responsibilities and consequences of bad driving.

“New laws on road safety can prove a real minefield for company bosses. We want to show them the way through the hurdles so that when they introduce safer practices and polices into the workplace it will lead to lower insurance costs and increased efficiency. This really is a vital seminar for all Telford companie,” said Mr Pettener.

“When a driver has a crash it usually affects their job. We can vastly reduce those risks. Doing nothing is not a very good option these days for employers.”
         
The seminar will also teach delegates how to ensure they comply with Government guidelines and avoid being investigated by health and safety inspectors and police collision investigation officers. It will show how they can raise awareness among employees and outline long term cost effectiveness of new policies.

Other subjects under the spotlight will be aggressive driving, road rage, mobile phones, driver fatigue, drink, drugs and over the counter medicines, how to ensure documents are in order, ensure eye sight tests are up to date and that company vehicles, especially private owners who drive for work, are safe and fully compliant with the law.

For more information contact Nicola Rees at The TTC Group, Hadley Park, Telford, TF1 6QJ on 01952 602634 or (email) Nicola.rees@ttc-uk.com or visit www.ttc-uk.com

The TTC Group also provide courses on speed awareness and the National Driver Improvement Scheme for police and local authorities and are the UK’s largest provider of education for drink drivers putting more than 10,000 through their nationwide courses each year.

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Note to news editors: There will be a photo opportunity on the day of the conference.
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