THE UK's largest defensive driver training organisation, Drive & Survive, has withdrawn from the Fleet Driver Training Association after losing patience with the association's lack of progress. Drive & Survive was one of the founder members of the FDTA, and continues to support the association's initial remit to establish consistent quality standards among training companies and instructors.

But it now believes responsibility for the creation of a fleet driver training qualification has passed to the Driving Standards Agency, it claims that the FDTA is failing to police its own code of conduct and argues that the association is beset with infighting. Drive & Survive will now dedicate its energies to working with its commercial partners Ford, Eagle Star/Zurich Commercial and Norwich Union, and with road safety organisation Brake.

Andy Neale, managing director of Drive & Survive, said: 'At best the potential market is less than 10% penetrated, but there are still about 20 driver training companies all fighting for the same piece of business. We know that by working even closer with our long term business partners we can achieve so much more.'

But the FDTA insisted it had played a fundamental role in raising awareness of the need to manage fleet risk, and it remains committed to the Fleet Driver Initiative with the Driving Standards Agency and Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.