Balfour Beatty has safety in its sights with large Sprinter deal 02 February 2010

Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions (BBUS) has placed an order with Mercedes for 700 Sprinter vans, as part of its Zero Harm initiative.

Brent Mitchell, head of support services at BBUS, says the purchase has been driven by a company-wide incentive to improve safety levels, with Zero Harm aiming for 'zero at fault injury road traffic collisions' target.

Following a series of demonstrations over a period of months, Balfour Beatty staff commented on the 'impeccable safety standards of the Sprinter, singling out its active and safety features.

For example, the latest version boasts adaptive ESP (electronic stability program) that takes account of the vehicle's load status when encountering critical situations, and brakes individual wheels to prevent skidding, while allowing the driver to retain control.

Mitchell says that, in addition to the standard vehicle's safety option, BBUS specified passenger airbags and seat belt warning alarms for drivers.

Most of the fleet will be 3.5-tonne Sprinter 313CDI panel vans, with a selection featuring a chassis cab, to be fitted with a variety of bodies, as well as 5-tonne models.

"This is a momentous point in our Zero Harm journey on the reduction of road risk," states Mitchell. "Our investment in these Mercedes-Benz vehicles demonstrates the commitment of the BBUS board to achieving Zero Harm across the business.

"We have delivered a number of initiatives to reduce road risk, and have also worked closely with Brake, the road safety charity, for several years. This has helped us make excellent progress, reducing incidents and working with our drivers to change attitudes and behaviours. Our partnership with Mercedes-Benz is the next step."

Author
John Challen

Related Companies
Mercedes-Benz UK Ltd

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