Safety-conscious organisations from New Zealand and Australia have been recognised for working hard to reduce incidents involving at-work drivers and vehicles during the ninth annual Australasian Fleet Champions Awards.
The awards, run by Brake, the road safety charity and supported by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, acknowledge companies and individuals who have implemented successful initiatives, products, or services to tackle fleet safety. The winners were announced at an awards ceremony in Auckland on Thursday 19 October. Individual awards were sponsored by Bridgestone, First Rescue, Fleetcoach, SG Fleet, Suzuki and Waka Kotahi.
The awards are held annually and are part of Brake’s Global Fleet Champions initiative, a global partnership campaign to prevent crashes and reduce pollution by vehicles used for work purposes.
As well as categories for organisations, two individual awards were presented to fleet professionals including the prestigious Outstanding Commitment to Road Safety Award, which was awarded to David Boyce, NZ Trucking Association.
The 2023 Fleet Champions Award winners are:
- Company Driver Safety Award, sponsored by First Rescue
Alexander Group
- Fleet Safety Product Award
Fleetcoach
- Road Safety in the Community Award, sponsored by Bridgestone:
Beca
- Safe Vehicles Award, sponsored by sgfleet
RTL
- Sustainable Journeys Award, sponsored by Fleetcoach:
Queenstown Lakes District Council
- Road Risk Manager of the Year Award, sponsored by Suzuki:
Rod Alexander – Alexander Group
- Outstanding Commitment to Road Safety Award, sponsored by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency:
David Boyce – NZ Trucking Association
See the full list of winners and highly commended entries here: globalfleetchampions.org/fleet-champions-awards/australasia-awards/winners-of-the-australasian-fleet-champions-awards-2023/.
Caroline Perry, Brake’s NZ Director, says: “We are delighted to see organisations working hard to help ensure their employees, contractors and other road users get home safely every day. The organisations represented at the awards are striving to make a real difference to fleet and road safety, and we hope their work and achievements inspire other organisations to implement measures to address their own risks too. Congratulations to all the winners and highly commended entrants at the ninth Fleet Champions Awards.”
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Senior Manager Road Safety, Fabian Marsh says: “Improving road safety and contributing to the reduction of emissions is something Waka Kotahi, as well as all businesses and organisations represented at these awards are committed to. Congratulations to David Boyce from NZ Trucking Association on receiving the Outstanding Commitment to Road Safety Award. We acknowledge your commitment to improving the safety of at-work drivers, and all New Zealanders on our streets and roads.”
More information on the awards can be found at www.globalfleetchampions.org. Details of how to enter the 2024 awards will be released in early 2024.
For images of award winners and media enquiries contact Caroline Perry on 021 407 953.
Notes to editors
Brake
Brake is an international road safety charity. Its New Zealand division promotes road safety and campaigns against the carnage on New Zealand roads. It is also fundraising to improve support for families bereaved and injured in road crashes. To support Brake, go to www.brake.org.nz. Support books for children and adults bereaved in road crashes are available for free to families by contacting Brake on [email protected] or 021 407 953.
Brake was founded in the UK in 1995, and now has domestic operations in the UK and New Zealand and works globally to promote action on road safety.
Road crashes are not accidents; they are devastating and preventable events, not chance mishaps. Calling them accidents undermines work to make roads safer and can cause insult to families whose lives have been torn apart by needless casualties.