Industry News
Police inspector leads energy firm’s drive to cut road crashes
15th December 2009
Chris Charlton
A former police inspector is heading up the implementation of a robust occupational road risk management programme at
energy company CE Electric UK, which has become the latest organisation to join the ‘Driving for Better Business’ campaign
as a ‘business champion’.
Ex-police officer Chris Charlton was appointed to the new post of road risk manager at the company nine months ago and is
charged with implementing a two-phase multi-faceted programme. His appointment, says CE Electric, underlines the board of
directors’ support for the company’s safety first approach to at-work driving.
Mr Charlton, who has a 32-year career with North Yorkshire Police behind him, said:"I have been able to bring new ideas
and perspectives to the occupational road risk arena in devising and supporting delivery of the programme, which is part
of CE Electric’s annual safety improvement plan".
"CE Electric wanted to recruit someone with the requisite skills and experience from outside the industry to review and
critique their existing safe-driving policy and procedures and to introduce an additional dimension to what they were
doing."
"Having had first hand experience of dealing with and investigating road crashes during my police career I am able to pro-
actively help the company tighten its safe driving standards even further to ensure compliance with recommended best
practice."
Now numbering almost 40 public and private sector organisations, the Government-backed campaign delivered by RoadSafe uses
‘business champions’ to promote the financial, legal and moral reasons for organisations across the public and private
sectors to invest in at-work driving safety.
With an estimated up to 200 road deaths and serious injuries a week resulting from crashes involving at work drivers, and
more employees killed and seriously injured on Britain’s roads while driving on behalf of their employer than in any other
work-related activity, the campaign aims to cut the carnage.
The CE Electric UK fleet numbers some 2,077 vehicles travelling approximately 13 million miles per annum to deliver its
services. The fleet is composed of 818 company cars, 904 light commercial vehicles, 290 pieces of plant and machinery and
65 heavy commercial vehicles. In addition 301 employees drive their own cars on business.
Through a number of subsidiaries CE Electric distributes electricity to customers in the North East of England, Yorkshire
and northern Lincolnshire and provides electrical distribution systems and related services throughout the UK and Ireland.
Phase one of the company’s road risk management programme has been aimed at the company’s 120 highest risk drivers - those
with points on their driving licence and those involved in blameworthy accidents - with phase two targeting the remaining
2,400 drivers, including occasional users.
Both phases, which build on established safe driving practices, start with drivers completing online risk assessment,
while high-risk drivers also undergo in-vehicle risk assessments.
Mr Charlton said: "Key to the success of the policy and realisation of a reduction in vehicle crashes will be an effective
and sustained emphasis on reversing and slow-speed manoeuvring, travelling at speed and safe stopping, defensive driving
and concentration skills and avoiding distractions all of which are underlying areas of concern."
Improvements will be achieved through a series of presentations and practical workshops designed to increase awareness of:
vehicle blind spots, manoeuvring skills, driver reaction to hazards, concentration skills and driver distractions
supplemented, where necessary, by intensive on-road training.
Commenting on the digital radio seminar, SMMT chief executive, Paul Everitt said,"The Digital Britain Report sets an
ambitious and accelerated timetable for all involved in the switchover to digital radio. There are already a number of
digitally-enabled products available to motorists as options, but today’s seminar underlined the importance of a long-term
collaborative approach between broadcasters and industry that sees investment in content and coverage to create consumer
demand."
Focusing on the specific benefits that digital radio would bring drivers, Alison Holliday from the Highways Agency said,
"Looking to the future, the importance of in-car listening is clearly recognised by the Digital Britain Report which sets
one of its criteria for switchover as when the digital signal reaches all major roads. Digital radio is already providing
a platform for new types of service such as Traffic Radio to broadcast a continuous service from our National Traffic
Control Centre. It means road users can get updates whenever they need to and we think it is an important and unique part
of the digital offer."
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