Plant and equipment supplier Hydrex expects to achieve a reduction of accident rates of 40% and a fuel saving of at least 10% on its £1.5 million annual fuel bill after signing-up to a driver training programme.

The business has appointed DriveSense to deliver the scheme for up to 400 employees after accident rates rose across its fleet of 450 vehicles, resulting in a near doubling of insurance premiums.

“Initially, I was sceptical about the effectiveness of this general type of assessment and training,” said Andrew Wood, group finance director at Hydrex.

“However, after experiencing a pilot session myself, I was quickly convinced that DriveSense’s approach would make a real difference.”

All staff will be assessed online, with approximately 50% expected to undergo a half-day one-on-one driver training session.