Burnt Tree Vehicle Hire has launched a campaign to help keep commercial drivers safe on the roads this winter.

Customers hiring one of Burnt Tree’s fleet of 13,000 vehicles in January will be given a ‘top tips’ guide to safer driving, along with a specially produced winter safety pack in case anything untoward should happen.

And for every rental agreement taken out a donation will be made to Brake, the national road safety charity.

The 16-page guide contains a series of suggestions about how to stay safe on the road, while the pack includes an ice scraper, foil blanket, wind-up torch, chocolate bar and hand warmers.

Andrew Hill, marketing manager at Burnt Tree, said: “Naturally we hope everyone’s journey is event free but we’re now in the dark days of winter and driving gets more difficult. Our aim is to help the people hiring our commercial vehicles stay incident free and keep their businesses moving.”

In 2011 nationally 10 commercial vehicles a week were involved in crashes which have poor weather as a contributory factor, according to Department for Transport figures.

Martin Howard, spokesperson at Brake, said: “Winter weather can be unpredictable and turn quickly, making roads treacherous. Stopping distances increase significantly in wet and icy weather, and we are joining Burnt Tree in urging all drivers to be prepared.

“Listen to forecasts, and make sure your vehicle is properly maintained and kitted out. If you get caught in bad weather the most critical thing is to slow right down and keep your distance, bearing in mind it will take you much longer to stop in an emergency.

“By taking these simple steps, all drivers can help to reduce the number of devastating crashes this winter, and that is why we are delighted to partner with Burnt Tree in its winter safety campaign.”

Drivers who would like a copy of the ‘top tips’ leaflet can download it from the Burnt Tree Vehicle Rental website.

 

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