FM Conway drive investment in road safety

26 January, 2016

Company purchases two cutting-edge Econic tipper-grab vehicles to help improve safety on London’s roads

INFRASTRUCTURE services company FM Conway have invested in two cutting-edge Econic tipper-grab vehicles, designed with the safety of London’s cyclists and pedestrians in mind. The innovative design of the new Mercedes-Benz Econic trucks is said to offer major visual advantages compared with conventional HGVs.

Thanks to a large panoramic windscreen, a fully glazed kerbside door and a low seating position, the driver’s field of vision is significantly improved, making it much easier to spot vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.

The FM Conway low-entry tipper-grab vehicles are eight-wheelers with a rear-steer axle – the first of their kind to be used in the capital. This modified wheel configuration helps to prevent disruption to surrounding traffic by reducing the Econic’s turning circle in contrast to normal eight-wheeled construction vehicles.

In addition, the Econic’s low-entry cab – with two steps rather than the traditional four – minimizes the risk of access and egress injuries, whilst through-cab access allows both drivers and passengers to enter and exit safely on the vehicle’s non-traffic side.

One of the vehicles will be joining the FM Conway fleet, helping to support the company’s highways and public realm projects across London. The other will be joining Conway AECOM – FM Conway’s joint venture with AECOM which is responsible for delivering the London Highways Alliance Contract (LoHAC) in the north west of the capital on behalf of Transport for London (TfL).

FM Conway’s transport manager, Peter Parle, explained: ‘Road safety is paramount for FM Conway. It is vital that the construction industry does what it can to reduce the risk our vehicles pose to other road users, whilst also ensuring that our drivers go home safely.

‘We were one of the first contractors in the capital to fit our vehicles with the latest safety equipment that has now been made mandatory under the terms of TfL’s Safer Lorry Scheme. The pioneering design of the new Econic trucks marks the next, significant step towards making London’s roads safer for all.’