| Road rollers & collision avoidance system |
Tarmac set out to find a technical solution when an experienced operative, working in the group's Dubai contracting operation, was killed after stepping into the path of a reversing 17-tonne roller. A meeting was arranged with the roller manufacturers and the suppliers of collision avoidance systems and a challenge set to come up with a system that protected an area as wide as the roller and five metres fore and aft.
The solution lay with the Vehicle Collision Avoidance System (VCAS) which uses ultrasonic sensors mounted on the front and rear of the roller. If a person or object comes within five metres, an audible warning is given to the driver. At three metres, the roller is brought automatically to a halt.
The £4,500 system has now been retro-fitted to the entire Tarmac fleet of 150 rollers in the UK and United Arab Emirates. It is also available commercially.
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Road rollers
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