The new Econic concrete mixer vehicle has been designed by Mercedes-Benz with a panoramic windscreen and floor-to-ceiling doors. The driver gets a clearer view of any cyclist rash enough to ride up the nearside of the vehicle, a key blind spot in traditional-design goods vehicles.
The mixer also has a low-entry cab, with only two steps from the ground, which greatly reduces the risk of slipping, tripping and falling when leaving the vehicle.
The business end of the machine is from Liebherr.
Tarmac (Lafarge Tarmac until its recent takover by CRH) is trialling the 26-tonne concrete mixer at its Silvertown readymix plant in London.
National transport manager Sean McGrae said: “We operate the largest vehicle fleet in the industry, and are committed to improving vulnerable road user safety across the UK. The trial of the Econic mixer is part of our broader approach to road user safety. We are pleased to be working with vehicle manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz to trial this revolutionary new safety design. As an industry, it’s important that we continually explore opportunities to drive improvements in this area.”
Tarmac, a champion of the Construction Logistics & Cyclist Safety Standard (CLOCS), is also providing additional training for drivers and supporting its contract hauliers with the necessary technical support and education to make both adaptations to vehicles and behavioural changes.
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
