New safety system prevents runaway HGVs

The UK Freight in the City Expo 2015 saw the launch of a new safety braking system by Vision Technologies to prevent an HGV from rolling away if the handbrake has not been applied.

The company’s new VTBrakeSafe system automatically applies a vehicle’s handbrake if the driver has forgotten to use it, as well as providing an audible alarm. It will also integrate with other safety products such as recording or telematic systems to provide data and statistics to fleet managers.

The new system has already been installed onto fleet vehicles at Craven Council in Skipton.
Technical manager Nigel Armstrong said the company recognised the need for a failsafe system to prevent incidents of rollaway accidents affecting freight vehicles, and began working on the design earlier this year.

“We’re proud to be the only provider of a system that will stop a vehicle automatically without driver interaction, essentially taking away the risk of unexpected movement,” he added.
Craven Council fleet manager Steve Parkinson said, “It’s a simple solution to a potentially devastating problem. Having a failsafe like this on a vehicle is a health and safety necessity.”