National Road Safety Week

This week is National Road Safety Week (18-22 November), the UK’s biggest annual road safety event coordinated by the charity Brake.

Road Safety Week aims to inspire schools, organisations and communities to take action on road safety and promote life-saving messages during the Week and beyond. It also provides a focal point for professionals working in road safety to boost awareness and engagement in their work.

As a transport company, TJ are aware of the importance of road safety and are highly invested in it. TJ has a strong focus on driver training and a commitment to cycle safety in the form of their Cycle Safe Campaign.

TJ holds an annual training event during which drivers receive training to update their skills and learn new ones. There are also different training requirements that need to be met to satisfy different customers, such as holding a Passport Scheme competency card to enter sites or a Site Safety Awareness (MPQC) Card which also covers vulnerable road user training. Drivers must also complete 35 hours of periodic training every five years in order to be able to continue to drive commercially. That’s another one day per year dedicated to road and driver safety.

TJ’s fleet of lorries are frequent road users and all TJ’s drivers are advocates for cycle safety. As part of TJ’s commitment to managing work related road risk (WRRR), particularly regarding vulnerable road users such as cyclists, TJ created its Cycle Safe Campaign in 2016 to raise awareness and to reduce the HGV / cyclist dangers.

The initiatives implemented as part of the campaign are:

• Annual driver induction
• Annual driver assessment
• MPQC Vulnerable Road User course
• Toolbox Talks
• Vehicle safety features, such as 360-degree camera systems, side under-run guards and audible left-turn warnings
• Public interaction events, called ‘Exchanging Places’, with TJ vehicles and drivers

Since the introduction of the Cycle Safe campaign, TJ has won two awards. The first was a national award for leading the way with cycle safety. The accolade was awarded by CEMEX, a leader in the building materials industry.

John Gosling, TJ’s Managing Director said:

“CEMEX’s award recognises our drivers’ strong commitment to managing work-related road risk, with particular focus on cities where heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) account for a disproportionate number of road casualties.”

TJ also won the Transport for London award for reducing occupational road risk for the company’s drivers. Criteria for the award included showing how technology, management systems and behavioural initiatives can reduce road accidents.

In October 2018, TJ also gained the highly-regarded FORS silver status. The FORS (Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme) silver accreditation is awarded to operators that maintain Bronze accreditation and have developed driver licensing verification systems. To further meet the strict criteria, vehicles over 3.5 tonnes must be equipped with a left-turn audible warning system and fitted with blind-spot minimisation devices.

Every year a different theme is chosen for Road Safety Week and this years’ is Step up for Safe Streets. We can all step up and play a part in the celebration of safe system solutions:

• Individuals can step up by pledging to use roads safely, minimise vehicle use and shout out for safe system solutions
• Schools can help young people step up and learn how to create a safe and healthy future and shout out for change
• Organisations can step up their policies and procedures to ensure they choose safe systems solutions
• Emergency service professionals can step up to highlight their vital role in helping keep us safe
• Policy-makers can step up by developing and mandating safe systems solutions

Find out more about TJ’s commitment to road safety, their Cycle Safe Campaign and the services they offer.