Logistics UK has revealed it will be hosting a series of seven Van Gold Partner Webinars to take place on alternate weeks starting from 15 February 2021. The webinars – sponsored by the AA, Bott Ltd, Brigade Electronics, Hertz, Lex Autolease, Quartix and TVL – will each be around one hour long and are free to attend.
“With more than four million of them on Britain’s roads, vans have played a key role in servicing the nation throughout the pandemic, reinforcing just how vital they are to the logistics industry. We are thrilled to be offering these webinars, each focusing on different topics such as driver behaviour, van security and introducing an electric vehicle (EV) fleet,” said Sharon Mitchell, Logistics UK’s Joint Head of Consulting & Standards.
Taking place between 10am – 11am on 15 February 2021, the first webinar will introduce the recent changes to the Logistics UK Van Excellence Standards, which have been updated to include Safety Technology.
Ms Mitchell explains: “Technologies are becoming increasingly developed and now play a vital role in ensuring the safety of all road users. We have updated our Van Excellence standards to require operators to enhance safety through the fitment of safety features to their vehicles to help prevent or mitigate road collisions. We recognise that each operator, and operation, is different and we have therefore not specified what technology must be fitted; it is up to the operator to demonstrate their method of safety technology.”
Speaking at the first event is Emily Hardy, UK Marketing Manager at Brigade Electronics, who has welcomed the update stating: “We are delighted the Van Excellence Standards are to include safety technology for new vans entering fleets. This brings vans in line with larger commercial vehicles, particularly in the freight, haulage and construction industries that have been adhering to voluntary schemes including Truck Excellence, FORS and CLOCS for the last decade.
“Brigade recommends a combination of active systems and passive systems to assist the driver and draw their attention to hazards that are in the vehicle’s blind spot. Ultimately if a driver is not looking in the right place at the right time, they will not see a potential problem. Not only do devices for indirect vision improve safety and efficiency but they also reduce costs associated with vehicle damage and insurance premiums.”
