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Dennis Eagle Ltd
CLOCS – TfL project. Construction Logistics and Cyclist Safety.
TBC
20/06/14
743
Since Dennis Eagle introduced the first low-entry panoramic cab on the Elite 1 in 1992,
drivers and operators have recognised that the increased visibility improves safety for
crews and other road users alike. Now the company is involved in efforts to redesign
cabs for urban use as authorities seek ways to cut road fatalities.
Although cycling has been around for 150 years, it has grown both as a sport and as a
means of getting about in the past decade. According to the 2011 census, London has
seen a 101% increase in the number of people cycling to work every day over the period
2001-2011. With so many more cyclists on the road, it’s inevitable that they come into
closer contact with motor traffic – sometimes close enough to be involved in an
accident.
Fourteen cyclists lost their lives on the roads of London last year – six of them in
November alone. Looking at the figure for 2012, it was found that a disproportionate
percentage of cyclist fatalities involved HGVs and still more involved construction
vehicles. In response, Transport for London (TfL) commissioned an independent review
of the construction sector’s use of the roads. The result was the Construction Logistics
and Cyclist Safety report, or CLOCS. Dennis Eagle’s experience with high-visibility cabs in
urban environments meant that soon TfL would seek our involvement.
The report found that there were four key pressures on construction vehicle drivers
affecting cyclist safety. First, there was little understanding of how construction activity
affects road safety. Companies simply weren’t keeping track of on-road incidents,
leaving them unaware of the scale of the problem. Secondly, road safety wasn’t
considered in the way as on-site safety. And thirdly, with no common standard to work
to, the industry was left without goals to meet and nothing to aim for.
The final issue involved Dennis Eagle’s area of expertise. It was found that blind spots on
construction vehicles were larger than on general haulage vehicles; as a result of our
experience with developing large vehicles for use in urban environments, we were
invited to take part in CLOCS’ efforts to improve vehicle safety.
The problems faced by construction vehicles are ones we’ve dealt with extensively at
Dennis Eagle. Existing construction vehicles have high raised cabs with three windows,
providing limited visibility – better for negotiating unpaved building sites – but this
design means cyclists are easily lost in drivers’ blind spots. Keeping track of relatively
small objects while negotiating traffic and tricky routes can strain a driver’s attention.
Upgraded side guards, blind spot mirrors and cameras, proximity sensors can all help
mitigate the problem. But there’s a balance to be struck: it’s important to keep the
vehicle as simple as possible for the driver to operate safely.
By contrast, a lower cab gives drivers an intuitively better understanding of the space
around the truck. Sitting at cyclist height, mirrors need less distortion to show
surrounding traffic and distances are easier to judge. Over-the-shoulder visibility is far
better and the low height means cycles won’t be lost below the door or dash lines.
Panoramic cabs at eye-height mean cyclists can make eye contact more easily, assuring
the driver and cyclist that they are aware of one another.
There is a disadvantage of a low cab floor in construction vehicles: such trucks normally
require adequate ground clearance for rough, unpaved building sites. However, flatter,
better cared-for grounds could help on-site safety beyond tractability for visiting lorries,
something also being addressed through CLOCS.
TfL wishes to introduce new standards to make construction vehicles working in the city
safer and of course the same problem exists in cities around the UK and the world.
Dennis Eagle and Mercedes were brought in to join the efforts as a result of our
experience building low-cab chassis; it was recognised that there tend to be fewer
accidents with low-entry vehicles. Drivers generally prefer them, too: when Mercedes
provided a low-entry CNG tipper to construction firm Laing O’Rourke, drivers
commented that they didn’t want to go back to the earlier high cabs.
The next step is to introduce trial vehicles. Our goal is to offer standard configuration
chassis adaptable to multiple roles. Currently a 3-axle chassis suited to tipper bodies is
being considered for development and body designs are under discussion with a London
customer and a tipper body manufacturer. As we work in closer partnership with TfL,
expect to see Dennis cabs sporting all arrangements of bodies as the project gathers
momentum.
-ENDSFor further press information or images, please contact Dan Crowley of Denfield
Advertising on 01926 881178 or email dancrowley@denfield.co.uk