A MAJOR safety campaign launched by energy supplier Centrica requires thousands of company drivers to ‘pledge their commitment’ to its fleet risk management policies.

Employees who drive a company car or use their own vehicle at work are now required to go online and sign Centrica’s safe driving pledge.

This includes committing to comply with the Highway Code, Road Traffic Act and Health & Safety at Work Act, undertaking daily vehicle checks, allowing adequate times for journeys and sticking to speed limits.

They will also have to undertake a Risk Foundation programme provided by Interactive Driving Systems and based on Centrica’s fleet policy, health and safety policy and driver handbook.

The programme aims to help organisations target their risk assessments at specific issues faced by drivers as well as attitude, behaviour, hazard perception, knowledge and defensive driving.

Fleet operations manager Jon York said: ‘We believe that now is an ideal time to bring all our fleet policies to life by asking car drivers to pledge to comply with them, and also to use the Risk Foundation program to ensure that drivers understand and apply the full detail of our policies, procedures and processes’.

A third of the company car drivers and its entire grey fleet, which amounts to a total of 3,500 drivers, will go through the programme this year.

Mr York added: ‘The Safe Driving Pledge and Risk Foundation modules form an excellent ‘permit to drive’ for our company car users who exchange their vehicles this year, and must successfully complete the hour-long programme online.

‘From the driver’s perspective it ensures that they are up to date and comply with all the rules. ‘From our perspective as fleet managers, it provides an element of liability protection in the event that anything should go wrong as well as ensuring that drivers look after their vehicle’.