AA DriveTech promotes redeveloped training course

AA DriveTech promoted its re-developed training course, which now includes eco driving techniques, at Fleet Management Live.

The company worked with the Energy Saving Trust (EST) to integrate EST’s training methods into its standard course earlier this year, and aims to put 6,000 drivers through the training each year.

As part of the course, drivers complete a pre-planned route twice – once without any coaching and the second time following instruction on eco techniques. Fuel consumption is recorded after each route to compare and contrast the results.

The benefit of the new course is that drivers get to practise what they have learnt in real world driving, according to David Richards, head of marketing at AA DriveTech.

“Our courses tend to be half-day or one-day training and that gives the drivers more chance to understand the benefits of an eco-driving approach because they can practise it for real,” he said. “If you just have a one hour assessment it’s hard to change people’s driving behaviours but if you’ve got a morning or a day you can show before and after more easily.”