The Automotive Blog

Lorries Face Ban Over New Cycle Safety Measures

London has become the first city in Britain to fine the drivers of HGVs not fitted with equipment like mirrors to protect cyclists.

From the 1st of September all lorries over 3.5 tons in the capital must now be fitted with guards at the side to help prevent cyclists being dragged under wheels in the event of an accident.

They must also have a special type of mirror that helps the driver see those riding bicycles or on foot.

Any that do not have the equipment fitted with the safety equipment may be issued with a £50 fixed penalty notice and operators could face a maximum fine of £1,000 at a Magistrates’ court.

The new rules for lorries will operate 24 hours a day and cover every road in the capital except motorways.

Most HGVs are already required to fit side guards, but lorries involved in the construction industry have been exempt from that requirement. Similarly, while new lorries must have extended view mirrors fitted, older HGVs have been exempt.

A Hi Vu Commercial Vehicle Fresnel lens press-fits inside the truck’s passenger side window, like a mirror, Hi Vu affords the driver a normal, (through the window) view of what’s close to his cab, not a reversed or inverted mirror image. That means the driver will assimilate any danger much faster and react far more quickly.

Due to a blind spot, drivers of trucks cannot see smaller vehicles or other vulnerable road users which are immediately next to the passenger side door of their HGV. These unseen road users can be hit if the truck changes lane in their direction.

For the low price of £9.99 + vat, a Truck Or Bus Fresnel Mirror Lens is an ideal addition to a HGV to the required guards and mirrors.

aide automotive can be contacted via email info@aideautomotive.com or by phone – 0115 8456471

Fresnel Lens is a clear, thin, flat plastic lens that is press fitted to a truck’s passenger door

Truck & Trailer Reversing Alarms

Expert Says All Commercial Vehicles Should Be Equipped with Reversing Protection

Christopher Hanson-Abbot, recently awarded an OBE for his services for vehicle road safety, believes the mandatory fitment of reverse warning systems will reduce fatalities.

Nearly a quarter of all work vehicle-related deaths occur during reversing according to current statistics, and although a large majority of vehicles are fitted with reverse warning equipment, regulations still do not make this mandatory.

Reversing is often the cause of vehicle damage or human injury. Fines have been issued to transport operators for employee injury and high costs in repairs for simple low speed reversing incidents.

Tip Trailer Services have been fined £500,000 plus £56,938 costs after an employee suffered horrific injuries when she was crushed between a trailer and a truck, although a reversing system would have not prevented this incident, the resulting fine shows what reversing incidents could cost a company.

aide automotives Back-Stop commercial vehicle reversing systems key features are that it alerts the driver when a person or object is detected within its 3M range and then the reversing system makes a controlled brake application relative to vehicle speed. This prevents aggressive braking when only moving at low speeds but still arrests the vehicle within 0.4 of a second.

To review how BackStop Auto Braking Reversing Systems could help your vehicles, contact aide automotive on 0115 8456471 or click on Reversing Radar System to read more and enquire.

Refuse Collection Vehicle Reversing System

Crash for Cash Incidents Increasing By 50% Over The Past Year

With reports of crash for cash incidents increasing by 50% over the past year, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) is warning at-work drivers to watch out for crash for cash scammers.

Don Armour, FTA manager of fleet information, said: “Regretfully it is becoming more essential for freight operators to rely on security equipment and devices to defend their position in court, and ensure security of their drivers.

“These ‘crash for cash’ incidents are yet another obstacle for professional drivers to contend with in their day to day work, but security equipment is another tool in their armoury to combat this sort of criminality.”

The Freight Transport Association has warned professional drivers to be on the lookout for ‘crash for cash’ fraud – in which accidents are deliberately caused in order to file compensation for whiplash – following recent press reports that incidents have increased by almost half over the past year.

FTA highlights motor insurer reports which suggested that 865 dishonest claims are being made every week, worth £10.4 million – but says the impact of ‘crash for cash’ is likely to be lessened by the proliferation of in-vehicle cameras.

In Cab Driver Recorder

aide automotive have seen more an more companies review the Pallet Truck Restrainer Lee Lock in the last few months, with the ideal time to fit the lock at a trailer build many companies use a body builder to add the Pallet Truck Lock to a trailer or rigid truck.

A DVSA spokesman says: “The DVSA has not relaxed its approach to load security in curtain-sided vehicles. We have reviewed our current approach to EN 12642-XL rated vehicles and, after further consultation with the trade and experts at the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), changed our policy to better represent the risk presented by these vehicles.

“XL-rated vehicles are manufactured to a higher standard than normal trailers and, when positively loaded, provide sufficient security to meet the [Department for Transport] requirements.”

An unsecured Pallet Truck is an Unsecured Load! Prevent load damage, Curtain side load spills, Trailer Curtain Rips and employer injury with a Pallet Truck Lock like Lee Lock.

Curtainsiders without EN 12642-XL must still use internal restraint to comply with Safety of Loads on Vehicles.

call aide automotive ltd on 01158456471 to discuss your requirement.

Protect Load With Load Restraints and A Pallet Truck Lock

Truck Camera Defends Against Road Rage

On Board camera technology is becoming an tool for road using companies to combat many circumstances that happen on UK roads every day.

Truck operating companies are often seen to be to the guilty party, with no evidence the blame is usually laid with the truck, but with a witness camera the blame can esaily be proved.

A recent incident caught on a witness camera is as follows, a motorist swerves into the path of a lorry in a bizarre road rage incident. The Ford Fiesta driver almost causes a pile-up on a busy dual carriage after driving right in front of the HGV and opening his door just before the two vehicles collide. He then jumps from his car and starts remonstrating with the innocent lorry driver while standing on the fast lane of the dual carriageway.

Thousands of these road rage incidents happen every day in Britain – often resulting in disputed insurance claims where each driver blames the other.

Without an On Board Camera, it would be just be a case of one driver’s word against another – with a messy insurance claim dragging on for months with no clear blame established.With the Witness Camera, it is clear from outset that the Fiesta driver is clearly to blame.

Having a Dash Incident Camera installed in a vehicle would tell the story of a road traffic accident. Continually recording forward views a on board camera will be date and time stamped. “Seeing is Believing” is aide automotive’s moto!!
Contact aide automotive to review camera options for your truck fleet. Call 0115 8456471 or click on Incident Camera.

Incident Camera for Trucks & Vans

JM Carpentry in Nottinghamshire installed Dash Cams to all vans following a trial by the owner.

Dash Cams provides invaluable evidence when defending staged accidents or incidents involving third parties and significantly reduces the amount of management time required in investigating such events.

Mr Morris sated “We looked at options of reducing costs and vehicles were sounded out as being a sector we could save money, We decided to trial a incident camera to see if vehicle damage could be reduced. We found that vehicle damage by our drivers may well be reduced as well as third party claims, these issues can be concluded quickly for blame. Also as the business owner I kept hearing about corporate manslaughter, with this concerning me I believe Dash Cams integrated correctly can help owners like myself to conform. Thanks to aide automotive for advise, support and service!”

On Board recording cameras are becoming an essential tool in vehicle incident evidence for vehicle operating companies.

Ideal for all applications such as Truck & Bus/Coach operators, Law Enforcement, Hauliers, Taxi, Private Cars and much more.

To review how a Dash Cam can help your truck, Coach or Van fleet, contact aide automotive by clicking on “Dash Cam.”

Following the increased interest in In Cab Camera’s from our customer base, aide automotive have also backed this up with a support service for those who require assistance in reporting footage for insurance claims.

On Board recording cameras are becoming an essential tool in vehicle incident evidence for vehicle operating companies, recent “Crash For Cash” scams have made the use of a camera an excellent tool in proving the scammers.

Dealing with claims and reporting the incident can be a time consuming trial and making sure  the correct information to win a claim is passed to the insurance company.

aide automotive can offer basic report or comprehensive analysis of all data with a full report acceptable to courts and insurance companies. Using data and video footage from the system, aide automotive can offer in depth Forensic analysis and the preparation of comprehensive reports, to assist in defending driving offences or disputed collision details.  This is via our own Expert Witness in this field and would include court appearances if required.  Whilst this is an additional cost service, this would usually be funded by insurance companies as it could drastically reduce their exposure to claims OR be reclaimed from the third party in settlement of a claim.

Matthew Burke of aide automotive said “Offering a support service to In Cab Truck Driver Camera’s is a positive way of helping our customers report on road incidents with confidence. Our service is a professional service carried out by respected personnel in the road incident sector.”

To enquire further on On Board Driver Recorders or Incident Camera’s please call 0115 8456471 or email shoponline@aideautomotive.com

On Board Driver Camera for Trucks, Buses, Vans, Cars Or Coaches