In memory of Mark
Page 51
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TOM CURRAN of Roadline won the 1983 Mark Vane Memorial Award. He received his award for courage, but there were other entries on behalf of men who displayed care or courtesy on the road (CM December 10, 1983).
All of the nominations were examined by a panel of eminent judges under the chairmanship of Christopher Serie of BBC Radio and Television.
Mr Curran's actions will be recorded on vellum in a leatherbound volume as a permanent record, as will subsequent winners of the award. His was an act of courage, and we know that his actions, and those of the other nominees, are repeated frequently throughout the year.
Nominations are now open for the 1984 award. This is the story of the Mark Vane Award. Your entries will be welcomed.
You may be employing the person we want to find. You may have witnessed or been on the receiving end of an act of courtesy, care or courage. We would like to hear about it.
Mark Vane (19) was killed in a road accident in a country lane in Kent. He had four brothers, all of whom are lorry drivers, and it was Mark's ambition to follow them. Sadly, he never could.
Mark Vane was a careful and courteous young man, well liked by all with whom he came in contact. So well liked was he that when two of his friends opened a memorial fund, people for miles around were quick to contribute.
Last December we met the family, discussed the possibilities in detail and came up with this simple but, we feel, worthy project. The Mark Vane Memorial Award will go to the person who, in the opinion of the judges, has shown the highest degree of care, courtesy or courage on the road between November 1, 1983 and October 31, 1984.
What the judges require is the name of the person nominated and his company's name and address, ;together with a short narrative of his act.
The judging will go on throughout the year and nominations may be submitted from now.
Nominations may be made by employers, family, friends, the police, the emergency services or any other witness.
The award is a suitably engraved piece of Swedish glass to be retained for one year.
The details of the incident will be recorded in a bound volume as a permanent record.
In addition to the trophy the winner will be taken each year during December to Gothenburg in Sweden for a three-day visit by courtesy of CM and Volvo. In Sweden there will be a visit to Volvo's accident research unit and an opportunity to see how the company regards safety in vehicle development and construction.
This is not a competition but a project which we feel sure will be supported by employers, trade associations, trades unions, the media and the general public.
Nominations should be sent to The Editor, Commercial Motor, Room 304C, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5AS. The evelope should be marked MVT in the top lefthand corner. The project is open now.