NAPP Pharmaceuticals make ESC mandatory on all their vehicles

The UK based company, part of a worldwide association of independent pharmaceutical companies that have been developing vital new drugs for more than half a century, is taking a lead in ensuring the life-saving anti-skid technology is a 'must have' feature.

Jill Grimes, fleet co-ordinator at Napp Pharmaceuticals and chairman of the company-s fleet committee, said: "What price can you put on a life? If just one life is saved as a result of the company making ESC on all new vehicles compulsory then the right decision has been made." The company, which has health and safety as part of its corporate DNA, has updated its driver electronic car ordering system to make it impossible for company car drivers - sales representatives visiting pharmacists, hospitals and doctors' surgeries and headquarters' staff - to select a new vehicle that does not have ESC fitted. The company car policy already states that all vehicles must have a European New Car Assessment crash test rating of at least four stars and, additionally, Napp Pharmaceuticals elects to fit rear parking sensors to all models to reduce the risk of crashes. Mrs Grimes said: "Ensuring our employees and all other road users are safe on the road has always been part of the company's ethos. However, even though we believe our incident record is good we are always looking for new initiatives to further reduce the risk of a crash."

Bank of Scotland Vehicle Finance is actively working with its fleet customers to encourage them to follow the lead of Napp Pharmaceuticals. Graham Kerr, associate director of Bank of Scotland Vehicle Finance - Corporate, said: "ESC is such a key safety feature and because it is only fitted to about half the vehicles on the UK's roads it is vital that we work to influence companies and drivers. Whether or not to take ESC as an option should not be left to individual drivers. We want safe fleets and we want to see ESC as standard. "We must work to raise awareness of the benefits of ESC and its life-saving potential by providing guidance and advice because, in our experience, fleet managers have very limited knowledge of the benefits of ESC. We also need buy-in from HR, procurement and finance departments. "If fleets ensure car choice policies are restricted to only vehicles fitted with ESC then we will have safer roads. If the choice is left to drivers then they will specify satellite navigation systems, alloy wheels or air conditioning."