Forterra gears up for third year at CarKraft

For the third consecutive year, Northampton-based building products manufacturer Forterra provided an LGV lorry for the CarKraft safety event at the Porsche Centre in Silverstone, where young drivers were taught the fundamentals of road safety. This event, held on 15th September, is the second CarKraft event that Forterra has supported in 2024, following the previous one held on 23rd June.

Organised by road safety group Northamptonshire Highways, CarKraft is a safety event that aims to reduce the number of avoidable road accidents in the wider Northamptonshire area. By educating young drivers before they take to the roads, the safety event can help lower the likelihood of accidents, instilling core safety principles in first-time drivers and preventing bad habits from forming.

CarKraft events are typically attended by a range of drivers aged 17-30, though older drivers can attend too. All attendees get to explore road safety protocols in a variety of vehicles, from lorries such as Forterra’s LGV, to Volvo cars and even Porsches.

The LGV lorry was driven by Mobile LGV Mechanic Martin Birkenhead and LGV Driver Dale M. Clarke.

At the event, attendees gained first-hand, in-depth experience of the most common safety hazards in a safe, controlled environment with expert guidance. The Forterra vehicle was predominantly used to educate drivers on the importance of maintaining a constant awareness of blind spots while driving.

Keith Millard from Northamptonshire Highways said: “We’re delighted to host yet another safety event aimed at equipping young drivers with safety-savvy practices. The continued support of companies such as Forterra is immensely helpful in getting this message across, and we’re grateful to Martin and Dale for bringing their own expertise and experience to the event. It’s crucial that we teach drivers road safety, so we’re glad to have another opportunity to do so.”

Rory Locker, Area Transport Manager at Forterra, said: “We believe that events like this are incredibly important. Our drivers are vital to Forterra as a company, and safety is of course a priority. The CarKraft events last year were a huge success, so we’re delighted to see that this one has proved just as effective and entertaining for the young drivers attending.“

The logistics and transport sectors of our industries are vital to the continuing functioning of the country. Many of the young people who attend this event may go on to support the backbone of our industries. If we educate the future generation of drivers now, we can pre-emptively avoid road accidents in the years to come.”

Forterra consistently promotes road safety, supporting several local events over the years, including The Young Citizens Scheme organised by Daventry District Council and South Northants Community Safety Partnership, and a similar event arranged by Northamptonshire Police, Northamptonshire Fire Service, and Kettering Borough Council.