The move follows a 12-week trial around London with the ‘revolutionary’ road safety device, which creates a shield across the danger zone between the front and rear axles of construction vehicles.
The device can be lowered and retracted at the flick of a switch in the cab, and prevents anyone and anything from being dragged under the rear wheels.
Fixed above each DawesGuard, over the under-run bars, is also a Dawes shatterproof plastic PeoplePanel, designed to reduce any risk of entanglement of clothing or cycle parts.
“We ... believe this device will prevent vulnerable road users from getting trapped underneath the nearside of one of our vehicles,” states Keltbray head of haulage operations Terry Good.
“We are also satisfied that the inflatable barrier does not negatively impact on the driving performance of our vehicles, and that the retractable mechanism, which can also be applied on uneven and off-road sites, is easy to operate for our drivers.”
“I’ve used my experience as a former Metropolitan policeman to come up with a solution I believe will help reduce or even stop serious accidents occurring in this area of the vehicle in the event of a collision,” comments James Dawes, managing director of Dawes Highway Safety and inventor of the system.
“Keltbray’s commitment to both the DawesGuard and PeoplePanels is a great step towards making that vision a reality at a time when it is still badly needed on urban roads.”