Volvo Car UK’s fleet division has teamed up with Ultimate Car Control to offer a training programme for company car drivers.

Ultimate Car Control has spent five-and-a-half years developing its Excellence in Professional Driving (EPD) programme in a bid to create a scheme that fleets can use to meet their legal obligations and protect employees that use their cars for business purposes.

Drivers taking part in the one-day courses will use Volvo vehicles.

Robb Gravett, a former British Touring Car Champion and founder of Ultimate Car Control, said: “As a company, we are very excited to be associated with Volvo, as their focus on safety fits so well with our company’s principles.

“However, even with all the safety features that Volvo builds into its cars, effective driver training is essential in the overall quest to reduce the number of road accidents, hence why we have developed the EPD programme.”

It says that organisations putting drivers through the scheme have already reported successful results – with one organisation witnessing a 47% drop in accidents among its drivers following participation in the course and a 37% drop in insurance premiums.

Volvo is providing the training vehicles to Ultimate Car Control for the programme and is also putting its own employees through the scheme.

Selwyn Cooper, national corporate operations manager at Volvo Cars UK, said: “We are delighted to have teamed up with Ultimate Car Control.”