The high visibility safety truck was designed from the ground up to improve drivers' visibility of cyclists and pedestrians in urban and inner city locations.
Originally a municipal duties vehicle – notably for RCVs (refuse collection vehicles), Mercedes-Benz's Econic has now been repurposed for other sectors needing its high visibility benefits.
Mercedes and its preferred bodybuilders are now offering the Econic in several forms, including tippers, mixers and skip-loaders, for operators seeking to reduce the risk of one of their vehicles being involved in a potentially fatal collision.
Key to the vehicle's appeal for urban operations are its low-entry cab with deep, panoramic windscreen and fully-glazed, bus-style folding passenger door, which provide all-round visibility to the front and sides.
The Econic's relatively low seating position also means drivers are at the same level as pedestrians and cyclists and have unimpeded cross-cab vision.
Mercedes-Benz Trucks' UK special products manager Basil Vinnicombe, also points to the 8x4 Econic 3235's truck cameras, which deal with remaining blind spots, and to the tridem rear bogie configuration, which massively improves manoeuvrability.
"For today's urban operators, who need a truck chassis with the ultimate safety credentials, the way forward is clear – just like the view from the driver's seat of a Mercedes-Benz Econic," states Vinnicombe.