Transport Minister receives a vehicle demonstration

Transport Minister Andrew Jones gained an “immensely valuable” insight into some of the challenges facing today’s truck drivers, when he piloted three very different examples from the Mercedes-Benz Euro VI range. The Minister’s first experience of driving a heavy truck came at the joint invitation of the manufacturer and leading commercial vehicle trade magazine publisher, Road Transport Media. Mr Jones described road freight as the “lifeblood running through the veins of the British economy” and said his twin priorities were to improve air quality and safety. “Our roads are among the safest in the world,” he observed, “but there’s always more that can be done to improve things still further.”

He then took the wheel of an 8×4 tipper designed to do just that. The Econic High Visibility Safety Truck has a panoramic low-entry cab and a comprehensive array of camera and proximity sensors. It has been developed by Mercedes-Benz specifically to reduce the possibility of construction vehicles working in busy, urban environments, being involved in accidents with pedestrians and cyclists. As the Minister engaged Drive and pulled away, Nick Blake, Head of Engineering at Mercedes-Benz Trucks, outlined the work done over many years to prevent “cognitive overload” of drivers. “There’s no point in overwhelming them with more technology than they can cope with, because to do so would be self-defeating,” said Nick. “So we ensure, for example, that our proximity bleepers are not constantly set off by street furniture. Likewise, when the vehicle is turning left, the camera image on the screen will only show the view down the left-hand side of the truck. It’s all about providing the driver with the information he needs – and no more.”