Driver safety has risen to the top of the list for Vendia company VMI this spring, conscious of the advent of the Corporate Manslaughter legislation in April (2008) that puts an extra onus of responsibility onto employers, especially those safeguarding the welfare of workers on the road.
In its quest to provide customers with quality products and service, come rain or shine, the VMI workforce spends much of the working day on the road – with all the attendant road safety implications, exacerbated by climate change and the increasing number of storms.
In some of the wettest weather conditions of the year, Blackburn-based VMI has been experimenting with a revolutionary way to improve its already impressive road safety record: its latest move is a windscreen coating treatment, using advanced molecular nano-technology, which has been successfully applied to a sample of its 50-strong van fleet across the North-West and South Wales.
The Screenguard treatment acts to deflect rain or snow on windscreens, forming the moisture into beads or droplets on contact and preventing
the ‘smear factor’ which reduces driver visibility in severe weather conditions. VMI drivers involved in the test found that they needed to use their windscreen wipers less and they could see the road ahead more clearly.
Managing Director Mark Molnar says: “Seeing hazards just one second earlier equates to having a 30-metre advantage in avoiding accidents, so the treatment makes perfect sense from a driver safety point of view.”
The company anticipates business benefits, too, in terms of reduced fleet insurance costs. As Mike Potts, Chief Executive Officer of Vendia Group, says: “The team at VMI has made a convincing case that driver visibility – and by implication vehicle safety – is greatly improved with the use of this treatment.
“It now makes sense to apply the coating across the Vendia fleet – involving 120 vans averaging around 20,000 miles per year. The treatment lasts for around 12,000 miles, so it’s well worth the investment.”
http://www.vmi-ltd.co.uk/
