The Freight Transport Association (FTA) made a film featuring the death of a child to highlight van safety.

The film titled 'One Fateful Day' shows a van driver distracted by his mobile phone, on the influence of drugs travelling in a defective vehicle. The driver has a collision and a child is fatally injured. 

It is the brainchild of FTA’s head of vans and LCVs Mark Cartwright. He said: “This film has been a few years in the making but I wanted to create something that would really hit home and resonate. The story we’ve used illustrates some of the typical failings we see amongst van operators who think they’re compliant but are only paying lip service.

“Van safety is a serious business and it’s vital that operators understand the consequences of not treating it as a priority. This film clearly outlines what can happen from the perspective of the driver, operations manager and company owner. It will serve as a wake-up call to those who are currently turning a blind eye to many of the issues highlighted.”

Cartwright has recreated the scenario at Van Excellence Operational (VEO) briefings throughout the UK. VEO provides a baseline code of practice for operators to ensure they are meeting set standards of safety and compliance and enabling members to share good practice.

“The Van Excellence code of practice enables operators to ensure they are meeting basic standards and membership of the scheme gives them access to a range of resources to help them run safe and compliant businesses. The code was written by some of the best operators in the industry and sets a clear benchmark for members to achieve,” said Cartwright.

Recent increases in penalties for mobile phone use while driving and changes to corporate manslaughter legislation have all impacted on van operations.