One Fateful Day
The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has produced a new ‘thought-provoking’ film designed to highlight the importance of safety and compliance in van operations.
‘One Fateful Day’ tells the story of a male van driver, distracted by using his mobile phone as he talks to his office. He is also subsequently found to have been taking drugs and to be driving a defective vehicle – all of which have ‘catastrophic consequences’ for the driver, operations manager and company owner.
The film is the brainchild of Mark Cartwright, the FTA’s head of vans and LCVs, who says the story illustrates some of the typical failings seen among van operators.
Mr Cartwright is recreating the scenario at a series of ‘Van Excellence’ operational briefings being held across the UK this year to raise awareness of the issues of driver distraction and compliance.
The FTA’s Van Excellence scheme provide a baseline code of practice for operators to ensure they are meeting safety standards, and an opportunity for FTA members to share good practice.
Mark Cartwright 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.
“HGVs are strictly regulated... but all too often van operations are overlooked, compromising safety and putting drivers and the public at risk.”
Clips from the film can be viewed on the FTA’s YouTube channel, while the full film can be downloaded free of charge via the Van Excellence website. The FTA is encouraging members to share it as widely as possible to spread van safety messages.