Martin Kolff from Dirksland can call himself the safest driver in the Netherlands for a year. Kolff came out as winner of the NK Safest Driver this afternoon at the TT Circuit in Assen. More than a thousand professional drivers took part in the competition this year.
The NK Safest Driver is part of the TVM Awards this year, the initiative of TVM insurance to improve transport safety. In addition to the honor, Kolff earned a trip for two people to Brazil with his victory.
Kolff was with the last ten finalists of the NK Safest Chauffeur 2019. The second semifinal of the NK was held on Saturday in Gilze, North Brabant, on the property of salvage company Van Eijck Groep.
Sixty Dutch professional drivers were tested on, among other things, professional knowledge, responsiveness and mental and physical condition. The best ten participants then also followed a practical exercise with a high degree of difficulty. Ultimately, five professional drivers managed to get a starting ticket for the national finals NK Safest Chauffeur on Saturday 26 October at the TT Circuit in Assen.
Knight 2019
In addition to Martin Kolff, two more people received a TVM Award. Nick van Rijn from Tuil was named Ridder 2019, a jury prize for a driver who has performed something special in the field of road safety this year. Van Rijn, who works for Bloemenexpresse De Viersprong from Kerkdriel, put his truck across the A2 earlier this year to protect the victims of a major accident and to ensure that emergency workers could also do their work safely. Van Rijn received the prize from jury chairman Fred Teeven, former politician and now part-time bus driver. "I reacted instinctively. I did what I had to do, ”said the winner soberly.
De finalists were: John Kersten (Haps), Alain Voorhout (Geldrop), Danny Henskens (Berghem), René de Baat (Klaaswaal) and Martin Kolff (Dirksland). Last weekend, the first semi-final battle already took place in Rijssen, in Overijssel, at transport company Nijhof Wassink. There, the following five drivers already earned a starting ticket for the final: Martijn Hofman (Rijssen), Marco Dijkstra (Leeuwarden), Edwin Maljaars (Voorthuizen), Andre Dillerop (Emmen) and Martijn Klink (Meppel)
