RENTAL, fleet management and leasing company Ryder is putting hundreds of its at-work drivers through a training programme to ensure they remain safe on the road.

The company has developed a training programme in conjunction with safety organisation RoSPA. Up to 900 members of staff will be assessed annually on their driving skills using RoSPA’s Driver Profiler software, which assesses an individual’s driving ability and the degree of risk they represent.

High-risk drivers identified by the software will be required to attend a one-day defensive driving course.

Temporary drivers will also undergo assessment, as will new members of staff, as part of the company’s recruitment selection process.

RoSPA will also train 20 ‘lead drivers’ who will assess driving skills and behaviour on a continual basis.

Simon Head, Ryder’s health, safety, environmental and security manager – Europe, said: ‘Safety is at the heart of Ryder. We want to ensure that our drivers have the best training and that we have the best monitoring and evaluation system to ensure that everyone is safety conscious and driving with safety in mind.

‘By linking with RoSPA we have been able to develop a bespoke training programme which taps into its expertise in both safety and education.’

Ryder’s contracted fleet drivers will also be entered into RoSPA’s National Safe Driving Awards Scheme (NSDA), which rewards drivers on the basis of zero collision and injury incidents. The top 50 drivers will be short-listed for a special driver’s event taking place next year.