Equipment Supplier Upgrade Helps LGV Drivers and Cyclists

When a driver gets behind the wheel of a new tipper truck provided by Select Plant Hire, he or she will be operating a vehicle sporting the latest safety equipment designed to prevent collisions between LGVs and cyclists. The equipment supplier’s upgrade means it will now be easier for both the LGV driver and cyclist to be aware of one another when sharing the road. The upgrade should result in fewer accidents between the two.

Upgrades to Select Plant LGVs include CCTV video cameras and recording devices that will provide critical data for analysing any crashes or close calls involving the vehicles. LGVs are also equipped with blind spot sensors, larger glass door panels, additional mirrors, and extra signage.

Select Plant Hire has completed the upgrades as part of a larger effort to improve the safety of construction vehicles. The company is a founding member of the Construction Logistics & Cyclist Safety programme, a collaborative initiative aimed at bringing together equipment providers, logistics operators, industry associations, contractors, and construction service providers to create a safer environment on UK roads.

According to Select Plant Hire’s Mark Starosolsky, heavy construction vehicles are involved in a disproportionate number of traffic accidents throughout Britain. He told Construction Index that the industry needs to put more effort into fundamentally redesigning LGVs and the safety equipment they utilise.

A Difficult Task

Anyone who has driven an LGV on a congested city street knows how difficult a task it is to pay attention to both the vehicle and cyclists. Any sort of equipment that can assist a driver in maintaining safe operations is worthy of consideration. Safety must always be the first priority for everyone involved.

We hope to see the installation of the new equipment achieve the results the Construction Logistics & Cyclist Safety initiative is aiming for. If so, it would provide further impetus for other companies to begin upgrading vehicles with new equipment that could drastically reduce LGV/cyclist collisions. As it stands, equipment manufacturers and owners are reluctant to invest the money without any knowledge of practical benefits.

In addition to new safety equipment, companies such as the HGV Training Centre can help improve safety by continuing to provide quality training to new LGV drivers. We focus a lot of attention on driver safety in all of the training classes we offer. Without safety being at the core of what a professional driver does, no amount of driving skill is all that important.

The HGV Training Centre works with new drivers hoping to earn their first LGV, HGV, or PCV licence. We can help with everything from getting paperwork in order to preparing for the theory test to practical skills training. Our goal is to ensure every student gets all the help he or she needs to pass the tests and earn their license. To that end, we offer affordable and convenient training classes in more than 45 facilities throughout the UK. Contact us if you are ready to start training.

Sources:

The Construction Index – https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/select-completes-lgv-safety-upgrade