Arval backs Van Excellence CALM driver mental health initiative

Arval is to make mental health support packs available to its customers as part of its sponsorship of Van Excellence’s CALM initiative.

Tackling driver mental health problems is a growing area of risk management for fleets and Van Excellence has launched a campaign in partnership with charity CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) to raise awareness of the issue.

Simon Cook, LCV leader at Arval, said that with more attention given to openly talking about mental health issues, it is inevitable that the subject is finding its way into more progressive fleet risk management policies.

He added: “Fleet drivers, especially van drivers, can find themselves in high pressure situations where they are working on their own all day.

“It is, in many ways, almost an incubator scenario for creating or exacerbating mental health problems.

“This is a duty of care issue for fleets for several reasons, with drivers suffering from mental health issues more likely to be involved in accidents, with plenty of evidence that it affects everything from attention spans to reaction times.

“We are very pleased to be involved in this campaign. It is, in our opinion, a very timely development, and we will be helping to distribute the packs to fleets and their drivers.”