Soldiers' driving skills put to the test

Skills put to the test.

From safety behind the wheel to changing a wheel, the driving skills of Colchester-based soldiers have been put to the test.

Road safety was the theme of a Safe and Skilled Driving Competition held at Merville Barracks today (Wed 2 Dec) for soldiers from 16 Air Assault Brigade.

Teams from the Brigade’s units faced nine scored challenges, with the team judged to have displayed the best and safest skills named the winner. The tests including driving round a circuit with bucket of water on the bonnet to encourage smooth manoeuvring, basic maintenance, judging speed with a covered speedometer and knowledge of the Highway Code.

216 (Parachute) Signal Squadron emerged as the winning team and was presented with a trophy made from salvaged vehicle parts, with the competition now becoming an annual event for the Brigade.

Event organiser Sergeant Jo Foy, of 16 Medical Regiment, said: “This is about improving road safety awareness to reduce the number of road accidents our soldiers are involved in, both in military vehicles and when they are driving off duty. Road safety is a serious topic but we’ve put a bit of fun and competiveness into it to engage our soldiers, who have enjoyed it and learnt a lot at the same time.”

Craftsman Carl Rogers was a member of 216 (Para) Sig Sqn’s winning team. The 24-year-old from Northwich said: “I’ve learnt a lot about road safety and had to think about things like braking distances that I haven’t really considered since my driving test. It’s always good to win and we will go back to the Squadron and spread what we have done and learnt about road safety.”

Brigade Master Driver WO2 Steve Park said: “Road safety is something that we take very seriously within 16 Air Assault Brigade. We operate some of the most advanced vehicles available and our drivers are amongst the most highly trained and skilled in world. Events like this are key to ensuring that our drivers remain focused on safety.”