Fleet safety project and operations manager Tess Sorroll explains how she saw the results of some of RoSPA’s work in Russia…
I recently joined RoSPA fleet safety manager Keith Bell on a trip to Russia to meet some of our clients whose employees are undertaking such RoSPA courses as the International Diploma in Advanced Driving Instruction. These companies want to bring the subject of road safety to the Russian Government’s attention and encourage a wider change of attitude towards safer roads in Russia. We could really see the difference in the standards of driving between the delegates who had been trained by RoSPA, and other drivers we used, including taxi drivers.
We began in St Petersburg on one of the hottest days of the year, 30°C to be specific, meeting some of our largest clients in the oil and gas industry. From St Petersburg we took the fast train to Moscow, enjoying the beautiful Russian scenery on the way.
Swapping rails for roads, we soon discovered a great deal about Moscow’s driving culture, spending two hours in heavy traffic on what should have been a short route from the hotel to the city centre. Subsequently, on every one of our car journeys in Moscow, we drove past at least one collision. It became clear that this was a regular occurrence, with other motorists passing each incident with little disruption. Taxi drivers are paid per trip, instead of on a meter basis, so the urge to speed up the journey and get to the next customer is a common habit. We quickly concluded that that the most effective way to travel in Moscow is on the metro system!
During our three days in Moscow we held meetings with ten companies and organised a conference that was attended by representatives of a number of major businesses. We outlined RoSPA’s plans for the future and detailed driving qualifications and accreditations that can be gained. The companies really appreciated us making the time and effort to meet them, and showing that RoSPA supports them in their ambition to set the standards for road safety in Russia.
RoSPA aims to be the global leader in driver and fleet safety and is currently working with large organisations in over 30 countries. RoSPA trainers deliver bespoke training, tailored to the specific needs of the organisation or country. Find out more by visiting the Fleet Safety section of our website