Licence Check has unveiled details of a new driver e-learning initiative in conjunction with IAM RoadSmart, the UK’s largest independent road safety charity.
Terry Hiles Licence Check
The new Driver E-Learning Programme will offer a flexible and innovative solution to help businesses understand the level of risk across their business drivers. Bespoke to the needs of the individual driver, the programme will intuitively recommend the appropriate intervention, with the majority being e-learning based.
The new programme, which is available to all users of Licence Check’s award-winning Driver and Vehicle Information Solution, DAVIS, aims to prioritise driver safety and well-being by delivering targeted ongoing support and, where necessary, on-road driver coaching will be available should the need to focus on specific aspects of work-related driving be identified.
Initial driver profiling centres on four key areas of risk: driver attitude, hazard perception, observation and knowledge.
Questions included in the initial profiling exercise are specific to the type of vehicle driven – from cars through to PSVs and HGVs – and, based on these results, additional modules are recommended where the profile scoring suggests further focused activity would prove beneficial.
Initially, there are 22 e-learning modules available through an online e-learning hub and all are designed to help drivers further develop their knowledge and skills. Those available are:
- Adverse weather
- Driving in cities
- Drugs and alcohol
- Eco-driving
- Hazard perception
- Minibus driving
- Mobile phones and other distractions
- Parking and maneuvering
- Road rage
- Speed awareness
- UK road signs and markings
- Vehicle safety checks
- Avoiding rear end collisions
- Car parks and parking – cars and vans only
- Driver attitude
- Cyclist awareness
- Motorways and dual carriageways discipline
- Driving in rural areas
- Concentration and observation
- Preventing bridge strikes – HGV/PSV only.
- Winter driving
- Understanding the effects of alcohol
Tony Greenidge IAM RoadSmart
The main premise behind the e-learning programme is to provide a seamless learning journey communicated directly with the driver, which requires only minimal intervention from fleet, HR or operations managers. The driver’s responses and results in each section are reported in DAVIS and will be included in the driver’s aggregated DAVIS risk profile score.
In-car coaching is also available, and recommended in a small percentage of cases, when it is carried out by IAM and DVSA-approved fleet registered trainers.
Terry Hiles, General Manager at Licence Check, now part of the Ebbon-Dacs Group, said: “Our market research strongly reflected that there was a real need and interest in this type of driver risk profiling, but that we also needed to offer customers a clear path to address any risks highlighted.
“IAM’s solution does this by guiding higher risk drivers towards e-learning to address any unwelcome behaviors or highlight good practices and, if this still fails to address the issue, to allow drivers to be instructed in-vehicle by professionals operating across an established national network.
“For a sensible annual fee, line managers can rest assured that there is support and development in place for their drivers and an ongoing commitment to their safety and wellbeing.
“Access to additional modules within the e-learning hub is available throughout the life of the subscription, which could be particularly useful if there is a company-wide focus on a particular subject or behaviour,” he said.
Hiles explained that the partnership with IAM RoadSmart came about through common shared values and a desire to improve driver safety through a guided driver learning programme.
“We knew of IAM RoadSmart and their work and had previously been involved in discussions about opportunities for possible collaboration and product diversification, but always with driver safety at the forefront of any joint initiative.
“This shared objective proved to be the catalyst for our strategic partnership and made working together an obvious choice,” he said.
Tony Greenidge, business development director at IAM RoadSmart said: “Licence Check are widely regarded as innovators in the provision of licence checking services and, integrating this with our bespoke e-learning and proven on-road coaching pedigree, we are pleased to support them in offering their clients a comprehensive driver risk management solution.”
