Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
Newly rebranded building materials firm, Tarmac, has become the first company in the UK to trial a new Econic concrete mixer in an effort to improve vulnerable road user safety.
The vehicle has been designed by manufacturer Mercedes-Benz to enhance the driver’s field of vision, particularly on busy urban roads. It features a panoramic windscreen and floor-to-ceiling doors, allowing drivers with improved visibility of cyclists particularly if they approach the nearside of the vehicle, a key blind spot in traditional-modelled vehicles.
It also features 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 firm, formerly known as Lafarge Tarmac before it was acquired by CRH in August 2015, is trialling the 26 tonne concrete mixer with 6 metres’ capacity at its Silvertown ready mix concrete plant in London.
Tarmac’s 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.”
In addition, Tarmac is providing enhanced training for drivers and supporting its contract hauliers with the necessary technical support and education to make both adaptations to vehicles and behavioural changes.
Tarmac is a champion of the Construction Logistics and Cyclist Safety Standard (CLOCS), and helps promote a consistent nationwide specification for HGVs and aiming to change driver behaviours by ensuring the delivery of progressive training.
