This week, the UK’s largest port hosted the first Driving Safety Forward forum at their site in Immingham with support from partners, Highways England and Safer Roads Humber.
The forum, which had been proposed by Port Manager for Grimsby and Immingham, Mark Frith, saw over 50 Managing Directors of haulage firms from across the region attend to find out how together, the companies were working towards making the roads across the country a safer place for drivers, both professional and public.
“Since starting my position here in Immingham, my main focus has been to improve the safety on our roads. Around several thousand lorries a day start or end their journey with us on the port and we’re making it our mission to ensure that the drivers of these lorries are able to go home to their families at the end of their working day.” said Mark.
“We know that the lorries who attend our port are helping us to fulfil our company ethos in Keeping Britain Trading. They are the ones who deliver fertiliser to local farms, food to supermarkets and building materials to the construction trade. On their travels, they will pass hundreds of thousands of other drivers and so by introducing these initiatives, we hope that the ripple effect will keep the general public safe too.”
Starting with an introduction from ABP, the group were then invited to meet with the partnership agencies, who have agreed to work collaboratively with the port to help increase the likelihood of changes taking place.
Richard Marshall, Regional Director of Highways England spoke to the group about their company approach to safety. He said: “In working together this partnership is helping to improve safety on our roads and encourage people to improve how they drive. This initiative will help improve safety not only in this area but can be exported and used as best practice for the many drivers who use our network.
“Highways England is working with partners to promote the Driving for Better Business programme as well as other initiatives around tyre safety and vehicle checks and raise awareness of the unmarked HGV cab which is being used by police forces across the country.”
The initiatives, being led by ABP, were introduced to the group. These projects will see preventative measures being put in place to lessen the likelihood of incidents taking place on the roads, which may have been avoidable.
Regular roadworthiness checks of wagons, will be conducted across the port and offered free of charge to the local haulage. For example, tyre tread readers will be installed at security entrances to the port, whereby it is hoped that this proactive approach will see traffic harm incidents decrease.
Before leaving the forum, attendees were invited to commit to taking one of three safety pledges which would see them make improvements for their workforce, to better safety on the country’s roads.
