Van safety

Van fleet operators have been urged to demand the same standard of safety in commercial vehicles as they would expect in family cars.

The call for action came during a podcast hosted by government-backed Driving for Better Business, a free to access National Highways programme, delivered in partnership with RoadSafe, to help employers in the private and public sectors reduce work-related road risk.

During the discussion, Matthew Avery, Chief Research Strategy Officer for Thatcham Research, called for greater use of systems that automatically brake and even steer to avoid crashes.

He said:

“Collision-avoidance technology - cameras and radars - on vehicles is highly effective, reducing the number of crashes by about 35%. It not only protects you but it is also there to protect other road users including pedestrians and cyclists.”

He called on fleets to push for safety systems, such as autonomous emergency braking, to be fitted to their vans and also to base buying decisions on safety data, such as EuroNCAP tests.

The new ratings encourage wider fitment of ADAS on vans, which is designed to assist drivers in preventing crashes.

In the latest tests, three vans received Gold Awards – the Ford Transit, Mercedes-Benz Vito and Volkswagen Transporter. Reflex Vehicle Hire offers the Ford Transit and Mercedes-Benz Vito and can provide the Volkswagen Transporter on request.

Reflex Vehicle Hire has led a pioneering campaign to improve road safety in the vehicle hire sector with our Safety as Standard commitment.

This includes the standard fitment to vans of key risk management equipment such as speed limiters, dashcams and telematics, which are part of the Driive with Reflex modular risk management service.

In addition, cars are specified with enhanced road safety technology where available, including autonomous emergency braking and parking sensors, with most receiving the maximum five stars from Euro NCAP.

For details on the wealth of vehicles available on flexible terms from Reflex Vehicle Hire, review our Vehicle Selection page or contact one of our expert team members to discuss your bespoke requirements.

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