Peter Morrow – Northern Ireland Manager FORS

Peter Morrow

FORS Manager – Northern Ireland.

SAFER CITY DRIVING FOR ALL ROAD USERS

For commercial vehicle drivers today, understanding how to drive safely and efficiently in urban environments is a given, and a crucial part of many drivers’ work, no matter where they are based.

Arguably, inner cities are one of the most challenging environments for commercial vehicle drivers, where densely populated areas and busy streets can result in serious safety concerns for all road users. FORS believes that commercial vehicle drivers have a duty of care to those with whom they share the road. Indeed, when the scheme began 12 years ago, improving road safety for all road users was its most important goal, and a principle which remains central to the FORS remit today. FORS believes that the route to safest possible urban driving is through robust training, and its progressive model ensures city driving is embedded throughout. For example from FORS Bronze level, drivers must have completed a safety eLearning module within the past 12 months of audit. Further urban driving training is required as members move to FORS Silver, where HGV drivers must have completed either a Safe Urban Driving training course, or a FORS approved work related road safety training course with an on-cycle element, within the five years prior to accreditation. FORS Silver also requires members undertake the FORS Professional LoCity ‘Time to clean up’ eLearning module, to understand fuel efficient driving techniques. Finally, at FORS Gold, members must take the FORS Professional LoCITY Driving course learning how to reduce emissions and minimise the environmental impact of HGVs, through pre-journey planning, vehicle checks, fuelefficient driving and alternative fuels. Consisting of two 3.5-hour modules, one classroom-based and one practical, the FORS Professional Safe Urban Driving course is fully aligned to meet the requirements of both the Transport for London (TfL) Work Related Road Risk (WRRR) and the Construction Logistics & Community Safety (CLOCS) Standard. Taking place over one day, the classroom module focuses on safely sharing the road and highlights the vulnerability of other road

users, explaining how urban streetscapes are evolving to encourage more walking and cycling. The practical module supports this by giving drivers a chance to get on bikes and experience the road from a cyclist’s point of view. Past participants have been pleasantly surprised by what they learnt after seeing the road from a cyclist’s point of view, with 89 per cent of attendees stating that their understanding of the issued face by vulnerable road users had improved as a result of the training, and drivers coming away confident that they are able to apply the advice in their daily operations. Both the FORS Professional LoCITY Driving and Safe Urban Driving courses are driver CPC-accredited and offer essential training for all commercial drivers operating HGVs and passenger carrying vehicles, to learn how to share the road safely with vulnerable road users such as cyclists and pedestrians, whether in urban or rural areas. For more information about becoming a FORS member, visit: www.fors-online.org.uk