Do We Need CPC Driver Training for Car Drivers?

A Milton Keynes HGV driver and company owner is calling for a unique kind of training after reading news coverage of a tragic accident that took the life of a 35-year-old driver in late July (2015). He says it is time to start requiring drivers to pass a motorway test in order to use the high-speed roadways. Perhaps this would lead to a sort of CPC driver training programme for the average car driver who regularly utilises motorways.

Driver and company owner Gary Morris has been driving HGVs for 29 years. He believes that motorways are not inherently dangerous in and of themselves, but that accidents occur because drivers do not know how to safely use them. He says he has observed increased traffic and speed over the years, accompanied by drivers who seem to be too impatient about getting where they are going. Morris says that the key to motorway safety is to keep safe distances.

He made his comments to MK News after reading the tragic story of Ayse Yalcinkaya, who was killed on July 29 when an HGV slammed into the back of her car near Milton Keynes at junction 14. The accident caused a multi-car pileup that shut down the motorway for quite a while.

Driver Behaviour and Police Patrols

Morris contends that drivers are not familiar with motorway driving because it is something they are not tested on. He says the problem is made worse by fewer police patrols on the motorways. A lack of knowledge and enforcement makes it too easy to be careless or aggressive, two things that are equally deadly on high-speed motorways.

The question is whether a motorway test would actually be effective in reducing accidents or not. It may, if coupled with rigid enforcement of lane hogging laws, Morris contends. To that end, police agencies were recently given more authority to crack down on lane hogging. The first successful prosecution of such an offence was just recorded a few weeks back.

Lane hogging is a problem because it slows down traffic and creates tailbacks. Such tailbacks are especially dangerous during periods of heavy traffic because drivers tend to put less distance between themselves and cars in front. Perhaps a constant reminder by way of some sort of CPC driver training would serve to remind drivers of the necessity of reducing speeds and keeping safe distances.

HGV drivers already have to undergo CPC driver training once every five years. If the training can make professionals safer, it is reasonable to make the argument for safer car drivers as well. Mr Morris has an idea that could very well yield positive results.

Here at the HGV Training Centre, the safe use of motorways is just one of the many topics we cover in our training. We provide high-quality training for all commercial vehicle classes including LGVs, HGVs, and PCVs. We also offer training for forklift operation, trailer towing, and horsebox operation.

Sources:

1. One MK – http://www.onemk.co.uk/news/traffic-and-travel/2015/8/poll-milton-keynes-hgv-driver-calls-for-a-driving-test-for-motorways-110820150027.html