West Dunbartonshire has become the first Scottish Council to introduce the VT Stopsafe system that allows its refuse collection vehicles to be brought to a controlled stop in an emergency situation.
The emergency braking system allows crew members or other passengers to safely slow down and stop the vehicle if the driver loses control for any reason.
When the system is activated, it limits the vehicle engine revs from the accelerator pedal and uses braking pulses to bring the vehicle to a halt in seconds.
This method means the vehicle won’t swerve, skid, or lock up, reducing the risk to other road users and pedestrians. Once activated, alarms also sound from the vehicle to alert pedestrians to an approaching hazard. The Vehicle Certification Authority (VCA) approved safety feature was installed in each of the Council’s 21 bin lorries over the past few months, and all waste services staff have received training in operating the system.
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