Blakedale to unveil new mini Impact Protection Vehicle at Road Expo Scotland
Blakedale Limited is reinforcing its commitment to highway safety with the launch of a new 3.5 tonne Impact Protection Vehicle (IPV), designed to provide additional workforce protection on carriageways up to 40 mph. The new Light Truck Mounted Attenuator (LTMA) Crash Cushion is one of the first of its kind in the UK and will have its debut outing at the Road Expo Scotland on 1-2 November.
With a bespoke built traffic management body and 900 kilogram load capacity, Blakedale’s new vehicle can be used to support a wide range of tasks, from roadside litter picking to maintenance in rural and inner city environments.
The “mini” IPV is equipped with a Verdegro LTMA Crash Cushion, which has been crash tested to 70 km/h (43 mph) and is approved to NCHRP 350 standards. This Crash Cushion can also be used on larger vehicles including 5.0 tonne and 7.5 tonne, with the new 3.5 tonne version being the smallest. In addition a mini light arrow board or LP13 is used to direct road users to the left or right, therefore reducing the likelihood of a collision between a road user vehicle and a works vehicle.
“As with all our self-drive vehicles, we have designed our new lightweight IPV to be highly visible to oncoming traffic. However, if a collision does occur, our Crash Cushions will reduce injury severity to those involved and also protect people working around the vehicle by absorbing some of the impact energy,” explains Carmen Bowley, Joint Managing Director of Blakedale.
She adds: “Currently a bigger version of this vehicle is only legally required on motorway and high speed carriageways, but the potentially lifesaving protection they can provide elsewhere, to both road workers and road users, cannot be denied.”
Weighing in at 3.5 tonnes, Blakedale’s “mini” IPV is considerably lighter and more compact than its 18 tonne counterpart, making it easier for traffic management contractors and local authorities to adopt their use in other areas. The vehicle is also equipped with a number of other safety features including an LED light system, reverse camera and alarm, and a recordable multi-camera system.
Members of the Blakedale team will be on Stand D21 throughout the two-day Road Expo Scotland event where they will be inviting visitors to view their new LTMA Crash Cushion (“mini” IPV). The vehicle will be on proud display in Demo Area 8, along with Blakedale’s low-bodied Traffic Management Vehicle which was launched at Traffex earlier this year.
