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FTA hits home with van safety failings

The Freight Transport Association has produced a short film to highlight the terrible consequences of failing to maintain safety and compliance in van fleets.

Called ‘One fateful day’, the film shows a van driver using a mobile phone – with a collision resulting in the death of a child.

The driver is also found to have been taking drugs and the vehicle is defective.

The film is the brainchild of Mark Cartwright, FTA’s head of vans and LCVs, who has recreated the scenario at Van Excellence operational briefings to raise awareness of the issues of driver distraction and compliance.

“I wanted to create something that would really hit home and resonate,” he says.

“The story we’ve used illustrates some of the typical failings we see among van operators who think they’re compliant but are only paying lip service.”

He adds: “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.”

The film was funded by the Van Excellence governance group and is free to download: click the link below. Clips are also available on FTA’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/theftachannel.

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