A road haulage operator in Botswana has been given a Global Fleet Champions award for company driver safety in recognition of its outstanding commitment to road safety.

The award was presented to Unitrans Botswana by Society of Road Safety Ambassadors at the ministry of transport and communications.

Global Fleet Champions awards celebrate the best safety and sustainability standards of fleets in the world, including in low- and middle-income nations where occupational road risk management is in urgent need of promoting and encouraging.

This award, sponsored by Allianz, recognises organisations that have implemented initiatives that effectively enable drivers to be safe, and rewards education and awareness-raising initiatives about safe driving.

Michael Zano, regional SHEQ manager for Unitrans Africa, said: “We are honoured to receive the first Global Fleet Champions award for company driver safety, which recognises our stringent efforts to protect the health and safety of our employees and other road users.

“We are fully committed to reducing the number of road crashes in Botswana and support for children’s road safety is a top priority in our corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes.

“This award strengthens our resolve to do whatever we can to help end the carnage of road death in Botswana and the other nations in which we operate.”

The award was judged by members of the Global Fleet Champions standards committee.

The judges commended Unitrans Botswana for creating a culture that encourages every employee and contractor to strive towards the overall objective of ‘Zero Harm’ – through behaviour and commitment that contribute to the reduction of road crashes and the improvement of road safety.

Judges praised the organisation for its driver training programmes, as well as its policies and procedures that champion safe driving behaviours.

More than 1.35 million people are killed every year in road crashes across the world and many more are seriously injured, with 462 people having died in Batswana in 2018, and a further reported 1,099 serious injuries.

Global Fleet Champions is a scheme by Brake.