'Courteous and safe driving, I’m working on it.'
You’ve probably already seen this slogan on our trucks. It’s not an empty promise at all, because Colruyt Group drivers pay particular attention to it. Every day, they take to the roads together with their 800 colleagues to supply our shops. And safety comes first and foremost!
Courtesy charter
Every driver must sign the Courtesy charter when they start to work at Colruyt Group. He or she then commits to better and safer driving. The charter applies to all employees who are on the road with a truck or van. The first version of the charter dates from 9 February 1998, but it was renewed in 2013.
In addition, drivers get regular training sessions on road safety and courtesy. There, with their colleagues, they think about how they can contribute to safer, more courteous driving.
‘There are about 9 sessions a year where drivers get together and discuss our charter and commitments,’ says David Denis, who trains new drivers. ‘The goal is to keep the courtesy charter up to date and to see whether or not some commitments need to be changed.’
Blind spot cameras and lessons
Courteous driving is, above all, about having respect for other road users. It’s important to be particularly cautious with vulnerable road users such as cyclists and pedestrians. There’s the blind spot for example, the place where drivers can’t see vulnerable road users.
The drivers have blind spot cameras so that they get a good view of other road users. As a driver, with the blind spot camera, you have a long and wide view down the right hand side. And thanks to a special chip, the image remains clear in bad weather and at night.
To make students aware of the dangers on the road, we take trucks to schools. So students can see for themselves what the blind spot is. From the wheel of a truck, the children can experience the blind spot; they don't see some of their classmates because they’re standing in the blind spot. Because the children see this with their own eyes and later tell their friends about it, it has a far greater effect.
With this initiative, we contribute to the following Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.
