Staffordshire and GreenRoad Recognised for Programme to Reduce Crashes Among Young Drivers
London, UK, June 29, 2009 — An innovative programme adopted by Staffordshire County Council’s Road Safety team in partnership with GreenRoad Technologies Ltd has scooped yet another national award.
Staffordshire County Council and GreenRoad Technologies fought off stiff competition from major national companies to be awarded The Institute of Highways and Transportation Road Safety Award 2009.
The team won the accolade in the Reducing All Casualties category for its use of GreenRoad’s Service in its Young Driver Coaching Programme.
As part of the programme, newly qualified drivers can use the GreenRoad service to monitor their driving performance by measuring up to 120 different risky driving manoeuvres. If, for example, the driver brakes hard into a bend an LED flashes red or amber to alert the driver. This information is then available to both the driver and their parents via a secure website, the GreenRoad Safety CentreTM. Online reports and tools empower the driver and parent to manage and reduce the number of dangerous manoeuvres the young driver makes.
The Young Driver Coaching Programme brings parents, driving instructors and the road safety unit together to coach the young driver from the earliest stages of learning to drive safely right through the first 12 months after passing their test.
Almost 40% of those killed or seriously injured on Staffordshire’s roads are aged between 17 and 25 years and one in five will have a crash within 12 months of passing their test.
Criteria for the award included research into the problem, innovation and potential road safety success. In making the award, the IHT judges noted how the programme brings safety benefits to young drivers on the road and reviewing details at home with parents and others will enable them to learn from their mistakes.
Staffordshire County Councillor with responsibility for Road Safety, Mike Maryon was delighted with the award. “For the County’s Road Safety team working with GreenRoad to secure another national award in recognition of our efforts to drive down the number of young people killed or seriously injured on our roads is fantastic. The number of road casualties involving young people is a real worry to us and we will continue to lead the way in developing new ideas that will make a difference.”
Hod Fleishman, chief of safety, GreenRoad, added: “The results of Staffordshire’s Young Driver Programme have been impressive. During the pilot scheme, drivers reduced their risk – measured by the number of high-risk driving manoeuvres – by an average of 58%. This recognition from IHT underscores the powerful contribution technology can make to safer driving. And, moreover, safer driving means more economical driving with fuel savings of up to 10 percent.”
The Young Driver Coaching Programme is supported by the Royal Society for the Protection of Accidents and received the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award for technology in 2008.
