UK-based Highways England and Freight Transport Association (FTA) have collaborated to provide safety training for commercial drivers who travel on smart motorways.

The training course for commercial and haulage drivers aims to provide practical and relevant training.

The single day course will include coaching about the history and future of smart motorways, the different signals on the network, driver behaviour, as well as the role of traffic officers.

The course also integrates into the standard qualification Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC). All professional bus, coach and lorry drivers must complete 35 hours of training every five years to receive Driver CPC.

Highways England Wayne Carey said: “Hauliers are among the most frequent users of smart motorways so we want to ensure we are providing as much support as we can to ensure those journeys are as safe as possible.

“It’s essential that our drivers are fully equipped to deal with their surroundings.”

“Smart motorways reduce congestion, improve journey time reliability and add much needed capacity to some of the most congested sections of motorway and we are delighted with the take up to date of this course.”

The training will be provided by Pertemps, while Müller is one of the first organisations to participate in this training.

Müller Logistic Support and Development Manager Jen Cowie said: “It’s essential that our drivers are fully equipped to deal with their surroundings.

“We are delighted to be working with Highways England on this training, from concept to delivery, and we continue to work together closely, which not only benefits the business, but the overall road network.”

In addition to arranging training for the commercial vehicles, Highways England has taken multiple initiatives to enhance commercial vehicle safety on roads and reduce traffic incidents.