Scheme cuts £1m in insurance costs

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A city council has revealed that a safe driving training scheme has saved it more than £1 million in car insurance premiums in six years.

Employees of Belfast City Council have been involved in 61% fewer road accidents since the initiative was introduced in 2002.

The announcement was made as the council launched a new handbook for drivers of council vehicles, a publication which is also intended as a reference document for other local authorities across the UK.

The chairman of the council’s health and environmental services committee, Cathal Mullaghan, said that improving the skills set of its workforce was a core principal for Belfast City Council. “This scheme is a shining example of how we have advanced as a council, and how investing in our people has reaped real benefits - not just in monetary terms but in improving safety of staff and indeed members of the public,” he said. "We are delighted that our drive to improve standards among our fleet has been a success.”

Mr Mullaghan said that more than 760 staff had completed the driver handbook training since 2002 and 150 staff had completed advanced/defensive driver training, which had resulted in savings in car insurance premiums of £1,129,938.

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