With over 5 million vans on UK roads, National Highways wants the drivers – who are often among the first on the scene of traffic collisions – to be prepared to take the necessary and potentially life-saving steps before emergency services can arrive.
The programme covers three 20-minute modules which look at making the ‘perfect' 999 call, addressing any danger at the scene and providing basic first aid. The training gives practical advice on personal safety, risk reduction and preventing situations from escalating.
While there were 1,931 people killed or seriously injured on England's strategic road network in 2024, evidence has suggested that roughly 50% more lives could be saved if bystanders were able to deliver first aid while waiting for professional assistance.
Mark Cartwright, head of commercial vehicle incident prevention at National Highways, said: ‘Motorways and major A roads carry around two-thirds of all freight traffic in England, so we potentially have millions of commercial drivers that are often among the first people at the scene following a collision.
‘This training is not about pressuring anyone to do anything they're uncomfortable with, it's about being collaborative and realistic, and providing information that might help save lives.'
Medical guidance for the development of this training was provided by Professor Tim Nutbeam, a consultant in emergency and prehospital emergency medicine based at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust and Devon Air Ambulance. He also serves as the director of IMPACT - a research centre focused on post-collision research, innovation and translation.
Professor Nutbeam added: ‘My background is about improving medical outcomes for people, particularly when time is of the essence. What happens in the first few minutes following a collision can make a real difference and I believe this type of project can help improve safety on the road network.
‘This isn't about turning commercial drivers into paramedics, it's about empowering and equipping people with basic knowledge so they understand what they can help with, while always putting their own safety first.'
