Since February 2023, Carreras has been partnering with the Jamaica Automobile Association (JAA) to equip their fleet drivers with the skills and training under an initiative dubbed the Safe Driver Programme (SDP).

The JAA Driving Academy has administered the company’s new driver assessment since 2021. However, under its new two-year SDP, the JAA Driving Academy offers a host of defensive driver training to fleet drivers in an effort to promote improved road safety.

According to Carreras Managing Director Franklin Murillo, the safety of employees is at the top of the company’s agenda.

“[Some] 80 per cent or 41 out of a total of 51 fleet drivers have been trained under JAA’s Advanced Defensive Driver Programme to date, and we are very pleased with the results. We have seen a drastic reduction in motor vehicle accidents and have gotten countless positive feedback on how beneficial the trainings have been to the drivers whenever they encounter challenging situations on our roadways”, he said.

Murillo continued: “We have decided that the company’s key performance indicator (KPI) for 2023 is a 100 per cent reduction in ‘at fault’ accidents and a 50 per cent reduction in fleet accidents compared to the 2022 numbers.”

Under the programme, each fleet driver undertakes one full day of hands-on training while undergoing real-world scenarios in a safe and controlled environment at the JAA’s headquarters, located at 7 Central Avenue, Swallowfield, St Andrew.

The robust training include a practical road assessment, a virtual driving simulator training and an interactive classroom training.

According to manager of JAA, Gheildon Wright, the company is recognised and respected islandwide for its driver education programmes and has trained thousands of drivers in Jamaica over the last decade.