The UK's best light commercial vehicle (LCV) and car driver has been announced as Fife Council employee Keith Smith at the inaugural TomTom Telematics Driver of the Year Awards.
Mr Smith was announced as the winner during a dedicated ceremony at the Circuit de Barcelona race track in Spain, while Mark Lowe from Peter Green Chilled won the title in the heavy goods vehicle (HGV) category.
The judges took account of both driving performance and overall mileage throughout the competition. Driving behaviour scores were calculated by OptiDrive 360, a key component of the TomTom WEBFLEET fleet management solution.
Fife Council's Demand Responsive Transport service operates a fleet of 38 minibuses, which are used to transport elderly and disabled people within the local community.
Mr Smith, aged 57, lives in Dunfermline and has worked for Fife Council for three-and-a-half years, following a 30-year career as a police officer.
'I'm thrilled to win this award,' he said.
'Our cargo is the most valuable of all - people - so I'm always conscious of the need to be a careful and considerate driver'
Fife Council's Demand Responsive Transport service's commitment to working with its drivers to help them improve their driving style ' with the help of TomTom WEBFLEET ' has also resulted in a 10 per cent saving on fuel costs.
Mike McQueen, transportation officer at Fife Council, said: 'Our team provides essential transport for the elderly and disabled members of our community, so safe, smooth and comfortable driving is absolutely paramount.
'We encourage all our drivers to keep a clear focus on this, so Keith's top score is no surprise to me. The TomTom system has proved very effective at motivating all our staff by providing objective monitoring and recognition of their high driving standards. The Driver of the Year award is another very welcome proof point'
Beverley Wise, director UK & Ireland at TomTom Telematics, said: 'We launched this competition to raise awareness about the importance of businesses aiming for ever greater standards of safety and sustainability on the roads.
'The standard we have seen throughout the competition has been highly encouraging and outlines what can be achieved when managers give drivers the tools and support they need to improve performance'
