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Enthusiastic exponent of the Road Haulage Association and chairman of the Yorkshire (West Riding) area foi23 years till last spring, Alderman William Bridge has not only joined the select company of RHA life members (numbering only 12), he now has the documentation to prove it.
He was presented with the framed certificate by the West Riding area chairman, Rayner Barker, at the area dinner in HarrogaSe last weekend after a speech which paid tribute to the Alderman's work for the association and the assistance he has rendered to the present chairman personally.
CM readers will remember Mr Bridge as former head of Flowers Transport, York, and Lord Mayor of York in 1965/66. Apart from being area chairman in the West Riding he has also been on the RHA governing body since 1949.
Just in case anybody should think that he must have had more than enough to do, with his business, association and civic interests, I ought to mention that in his "spare" time, William Bridge has quite large farming interests. Perhaps he will be able to devote more attention to the herd of cattle of which, I am told, he is more than a little proud.
• Bonuses and boners
One of the most difficult things about a bonus scheme is devising an equitable system of assessing blameworthiness when a driver has been involved in an accident or incident. So I was particularly interested to hear Ken Herring, Esso's divisional director (opera tions) reveal recently that the company is building up "case law" for instances which may not disqualify a driver or his depot from bonus points.
If a driver was properly parked at a layby and another vehicle collided with his, this would probably not be penalized, but any accident involving an element of blame means that the driver's bonus points go for a burton.
Mr Herring was speaking at the Park Lane offices of E. F. Macdonald and Company, American experts on incentive schemes, and I was intrigued to learn that the Esso safe driving award scheme introduced in 1969 has reduced vehicle accidents and losttime accidents by 80 per cent; and the company reckons to do better in 1973.
• Unhappy twist
It appears that an Esso driver with 10 years' safe driving could increase his income by the equivalent of IX a year — some 1.83 from the safe driving bonus points scheme and an additional sum from success in the RoSPA scheme.
The award scheme is structured in the ratio of two-thirds points for drivers' and one-third for team (depot) awards. Imagine the flap recently when a depot that had totted up nearly half a million points lost the lot when a driver twisted a leg getting out of his cab!
Esso are spending £100,000 a year on training and £200,000 a year on incentive gifts — which range from kitchen equipment to expensive cameras — and must think the benefit justifies the trouble. I gather that their rival petroleum distributors are not yet sold on the bonus points idea for promoting road safety. Does this mean that the competitoi firms are fully satisfied with their accideni records or is it a problem to dream up effec tive inducements? Esso's poster campaign films, and kitchen calendar cum aide memoir( have perhaps scooped the pool?
• Poignant
The Esso theme for 19'73 — "For the love of life think safety" is especially poignan for at least two of the company's top executives whose sons have been killed in cai accidents recently. The Esso films whicl support the safe driving theme stress thf personal tragedies which can stem from moment's carelessness on the road or at ; terminal.
• On the M-ways
While I already knew about the DoE fog cod( I only saw it in leaflet form for the first tirril last week in the M6 motorway service are at Keele. It's a leaflet that operators woul4 do well to issue to their drivers — copie are available from local road safety officer and offices of the AA, RAC, RHA and FTA The most spectacular incident on a 90C mile round trip occurred on MI, where a ca was blazing fiercely on the northboun, carriageway and the driver was beating hasty retreat. Other drivers, apparentl oblivious of the potential danger of th "car bomb" were flashing past too clos for comfort at 60 or 70 — until, as controlled by some unseen barrier, th three lanes drew to an orderly halt.
On the inside lane a lorry driver wa literally flagging the traffic down — with red flag.
Prizes for quick thinking to him,and t a lorry driver on the southbound carriag( way who spotted the danger and was ahno: immediately phoning for assistance.
No prizes at all, however, for whoever we responsible for the commercial vehicle do( which 1 saw bounding along the inside tar on M6! I didn't wait for the sequel.