SAFED for Vans Funded Driver Training

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The Department for Transport is funding the Safe and Fuel Efficient Drivers (SAFED) Scheme for van drivers which aims to encourage safer, cleaner and cheaper driving whilst saving operators money. £2.5 million of Government funding will pay for up to 300 instructors as well as 7,500 training places across England, until March 2007.

The scheme was launched in January 2006 by the then Secretary of State. By the summer the instructor pool was well established and over 200 companies operating van fleets had registered their interest in the scheme.

The one-day SAFED course involves a mixture of classroom and on-the-road tuition and teaches the use of driving techniques such as better use of gears to avoid over-revving and unnecessary gear changes, keeping correct distances to avoid hard braking, and an overall awareness of fuel economy and road layout.

Average performance figures for the SAFED trained drivers are:

  • 14 per cent fuel consumption reduction
  • 56 per cent reduction in driver faults
  • 34 per cent reduction of the number of gear changes
  • 1.5 per cent reduction of journey time.

The fuel consumption reduction alone represents a saving of up to £500 of fuel per vehicle, depending on mileage.

Drivers in small businesses or medium sized enterprises using their own van qualify for free training. A small contribution applies to others. The contributions will be reinvested into training more drivers.

How to Register

Van drivers, companies and instructors interested in the scheme should be able to register their interest with SAFED on 0870 190 8440, www.safed.org.uk or email vans@safed.org.uk.

The pilot project LCV SAFED Pilot Scheme is available on the DfT website and observed 25 van drivers.

A previous study report of over 6000 HGV drivers which demonstrated the economic and environmental benefits of advanced driving is available on the DfT website: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/safeandfuelefficientdrivertr4867

A series of free SAFED case studies and guides have also been published by the DfT funded Freight Best Practice programme: http://www.freightbestpractice.org.uk/pubsub.aspx?SectionID=2 .