MP CONTINUES TO PRESS THE CASE MP David Chidgey received
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a written answer to two questions to Steven Norris, minister for local transport and road safety, on 19 December: "What proportion of LGV drivers received formal training before completing their test." Norris replied: "A survey by the DSA in 1 992 found that 99% of LGV test candidates had undertaken some formal training before taking the test. The vast majority has taken this training solely with professional training bodies. The remainder had combined this...with further practice with a friend or relative."
Chidgey persevered: "What studies have his department conducted into the prior training of LGV drivers who have been involved in accidents." Norris: "None."
SUPPORTERS VIEWS MANX LGV TRAINING SERVICES DA Harris, director
I own a four-vehicle training company in the Isle of Man and to qualify to instruct you must have at least three years experience and be over 21 (two years for LGV if you are an ADO. The law was only changed two years ago but has had quite an impact on he reduction in deaths on our roads of young inexperienced newly qualified drivers. It has stopped any person who has just passed their LGV test instructing in an LGV, which is what you are after...I hope the law in England will be changed because it will give the whole industry a better image.
BASS BREWERS, BURTON-ON-TRENT DC Ravey, driver training & road safety officer
Many thanks for your articles on LGV registration. It's a subject that I, and two organisations I am connected with, have been trying to further for a good while now. It would seem to all in the industry to be the common sense thing to do, so why the reluctance on behalf of the DOT to implement such a scheme? The Institute of HGV Driving Instructors and the Association of Industrial Road Safety Officers have valiantly been trying over a period of years to bring about such an organisation. .1 sincerely hope your campaign will have the response it deserves—it certainly has my support. My company has its own driver training programme which covers defensive driving, accident prevention, drivers hours, vehicle roll overs and many other subjects. Our accident rate (blameworthy) is one in 345,669 miles for 7 million delivery miles.
THOMAS MALIAM & REEVES, OXFORD Chris Butterfield, transport solicitor Good luck to you! I can do without cases which come to court through inadequate driver training.