Eurovia shine new light on road safety
Company’s new low-loader semi-trailer lighting system helps improve safety for other road users
WORKING in London, one of the busiest capital cities in the world, brings many challenges, particularly when driving a six-axled, 44-tonne articulated tractor unit and low-loader semi-trailer with a valuable cargo of asphalt pavers, compactors and Streetmasters.
Additional safety considerations have to be made for road traffic, cyclists and pedestrians, which places additional responsibilities on professional drivers in both day and night operations. With this in mind, Eurovia decided to undertake a thorough review of how they could improve the safety, visibility and practicality of their new low-loader combination.
Eurovia’s fleet engineer, Chris Dixon, and the company’s contracting division fleet and plant manager, Chris Forrest, worked with Mercedes dealership S&B Commercials and King to create a new and unique articulated tractor unit and low-loader semi-trailer, designed specifically for Eurovia Surfacing to transport their road construction surfacing plant.
With work in London and the surrounding Home Counties often taking place at night, visibility whilst loading and off-loading plant and equipment is crucial. As can be seen from the photo above, the trailer has been fitted with a new type of LED lighting system built into the shackle wells, to illuminate the entire trailer.
In addition, the new low-loader combination is the first semi-slope trailer to be designed and built by King in the UK, making it easier to load and unload plant and reducing the risk of injury.
Other safety features include: a fall-arrest system on the neck to prevent falls from height; hydraulically assisted side-shift ramps for loading plant of various widths; FORS Gold-specification side scan and a four-way recordable camera system; and forward-folding ramps with control units on both sides, allowing the driver to work in a safe environment.
In addition to its safety aspects, the new Euro 6 compliant tractor unit’s reduced emissions meet with current and impending Low Emission Zone requirements, whilst King have designed the trailer for increased payloads, making it more productive and efficient.
