RWM preview: new collection vehicle warning sign to protect cyclists

United Kingdom – Recycling machinery and technology suppliers from around the globe are counting down to the RWM trade show to take place on 14-16 September in Birmingham, UK. Among the exhibitors will be UK-based vehicle safety specialist Sentinel Systems showcasing what it describes as their ‘evolving range of systems, designed to aid collection vehicle drivers and help protect the lives of cyclists’.

This year, Sentinel will launch a new LED cyclist warning sign recyclers and scrap collectors can install on their vehicles. According to the supplier, this device provides extra protection for ‘vulnerable’ cyclists. ‘The sign gives cyclists approaching the rear of the vehicle a clear warning that the vehicle is about to turn left’, it is explained.

Sentinel’s reversing radar systems is to complement their additional safety products, including various external and internal vehicle cameras and the so-called Bike Hotspot system. Installed at the rear of the vehicle, the radars are linked to an in-cab audio warning device, which sounds when an obstruction is detected, giving the driver notice to take caution. In addition to this, the radars can be enhanced with an auto-braking function, which automatically triggers the vehicle’s brake when something is detected, and resets once it is cleared.

‘We know how important it is for our drivers to have safety equipment as part of their vehicles’, says Ian Syms, health and safety manager at recycling service Wastesavers. Sentinel has worked with Wastesavers to improve the safety of its recycling vehicles in Newport, Wales. ‘The cameras offer 360-degree view of our 12-tonne recycling vehicles which is such a help for our drivers who, as part of our operation, have to drive in congested and small highway areas,’ Syms confirms.

A selection of Sentinel’s latest solutions will be on display at RWM.