Increased focus on road safety in the 6th biennial Young European Truck Driver final

Tomorrow (Friday, 24 April), 26 of Europe’s best young truck drivers will begin their battle to win Scania’s Young European Truck Driver (YETD) competition 2015 at Scania in Södertälje, Sweden. The winner will be announced on Saturday after an exciting head-to-head precision driving event featuring the three best finalists. This year’s global driver competitions attracted more than 100,000 participants, which is a new record.

Advertisement

Scania expects a large crowd at the final and is inviting the general public to an Open Day between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday. The final will be broadcasted live on the YETD live page www.scania.com/YETDlive. Live coverage will also be available on Scania’s website, as well as on Scania’s social media channels.

„We have prepared an extensive programme of activities for visitors,” says Mikael Person, who is in charge of Scania’s driver competitions.

“We can guarantee outstanding driver performances and great excitement all the way to the finish line. People can also find out more about Scania at the DemoCentre and at Chassis production, where visitors will be able to experience our products and services on site.”

Person expects some 10,000 visitors to visit the event and watch the YETD final. The 26 drivers who will battle it out for the title at the European final have qualified by winning regional and national competitions which attracted more than 22,000 contestants.

During the two-day final, drivers will compete in tests such as fuel economy driving, check before driving, cargo securing and safe manoeuvering.

“Road safety will be given extra attention with the new drugs and drowsiness exercise,” says Person. “This year, a new award is introduced that is sponsored by the International Road Transport Union to the driver who secures cargo the best.”

Scania’s inaugural driver competition was held in Europe in 2003. The competitions, which now take place globally, focus on the value of capable, highly skilled drivers as well as on the role of driver training in improving road safety and awareness of reducing environmental impact. Scania is organising similar competitions in Latin America, Africa and Asia, and this year’s global competitions have attracted a record number of more than 100,000 contestants.

The driver is the single most important factor when it comes to operating economy, the environment and safety. Capable and committed drivers contribute to energyefficient transport, reduced emissions and better road safety.

“For the IRU, the Scania Driver Competition clearly highlights that a trained driver stands a better chance of avoiding accidents, while lowering fuel consumption and emissions as well as repair and maintenance costs for the operator, this will induce sustainable improvements in international operations and road safety values,” says Jacques Marmy, Head of Technical Affairs at IRU, which endorses YETD.

“Having such trained professionals on the road is an IRU priority, supported by the IRU Academy training Programmes, and the IRU is therefore proud to be an official partner and jury member of the Scania Driver Competition.”

YETD also has the endorsement of the European Commission. The sponsor of the competition is Michelin, and the final in Sweden is also sponsored by Volkswagen Group Sweden.