Former Driver Proposes Additional Training to Coincide with CPC Qualification

As of September 2014, all professional drivers working in the road haulage industry will be required to meet minimum CPC qualification standards in order to continue driving. PCV drivers must meet the CPC requirement initially no later than September of this year; HGV drivers have until next year.

Knowing that, a former road haulage driver and current CEO of Driver First Assist (DFA) is now proposing additional training to coincide with CPC qualification. The training is based on a scheme he developed – a scheme that could potentially reduce the number of traffic accident deaths by half.

Former driver David Higginbottom developed the scheme to take advantage of common first aid practices that could, and should be, deployed immediately after a road crash. Higginbottom claims his training will provide road haulage drivers with the necessary first aid skills to save lives prior to the arrival of an ambulance.

In reporting on the DFA scheme, Handy Shipping Guide made note of the fact that road deaths in the UK increased last year for the first time in decades. That increase is blamed largely on road congestion that has resulted in the average arrival time for first responders now being about 8 minutes. Higginbottom says the number one cause of death following a serious traffic accident is airway obstruction – something that can prove fatal in just 4 minutes. His training aims to change that.

Right now, the DFA scheme is in its infancy as it looks for financing partners to expand the program countrywide. For now, Higginbottom believes road haulage companies should select at least one driver to undergo the training alongside the required CPC training. Just one driver from each company would add an army of trained drivers to UK roads every year.

In the future, Higginbottom hopes to see his scheme grow to the point that it becomes a routine part of HGV driver training. While he acknowledges it would add to the cost of training, he claims it would save the UK economy £1.5 billion annually. That sort of savings could stimulate economic growth that would benefit everyone.

Don’t Forget Your CPC Training

In wrapping this up, we want to remind both drivers and fleet managers to not forget CPC training. The deadline is fast approaching for PCV drivers and operators who must be in compliance by September. If you have not begun CPC training for a PCV license, you no longer have time to wait.

HGV drivers and operators still have a little more than a year to go before compliance is required. However, why put it off? There is no need to run up against the deadline by waiting until next year, when you can start scheduling your training right away.

The HGV Training Centre provides both individual and fleet training at more than 45 facilities around the country. We are ready to get you or your drivers prepared for CPC qualification. Nevertheless, we cannot get started until you contact us.