SGESCO-MAX plans to work more closely with New Zealand heavy vehicle Fleet Managers in the coming months with the aim of putting an end to rollaway trucks and buses.
In recent years there have been several incidents and fatalities due to trucks and buses rolling away because of park brake issues – either not applied properly or not holding or failing due to the make of the handbrake, mechanical error and / or slope of terrain.
In the last three months there have been concerning incidents in the both the North and South Islands of occupant-less trucks rolling away due to park brake issues. In one instance, a driver took an extreme risk trying to climb into their vehicle while it was moving – to no avail. The North Island accident involved an EnviroWaste garbage truck in Tauranga.
In Australia, SGESCO-MAX pioneered the MAX-SAFE Anti-Rollaway Brake System™, in 2000 no less, in response to waste management companies wanting a solution that would prevent their vehicles from rolling away and injuring people or damaging property.
While not a legal requirement to have the safety solution, today over 10,000 vehicles across Australia use MAX-SAFE to protect people and property every day. Companies with the solutions installed across their fleets include waste management giants, SUEZ, and Cleanaway.
The MAX-SAFE Anti-Rollaway Brake System provides an active safety solution in the event of a driver neglecting to fully apply the park brake before leaving their vehicle, or if the park brake faulters for some reason. It can also be coupled with an audible alarm and flashing light that is heard and seen outside of the vehicle to alert people of a moving vehicle. With the system in place any truck that rolls will be halted within one – two metres depending on the incline.
Managing Director of SGESCO-MAX, Scott McPherson, noted that New Zealand had a different fleet makeup to Australia due to higher second-hand import market. However, Scott believed that regardless of the make-up and age of New Zealand’s heavy vehicle fleet, it made good business sense for fleet managers to manage serious and known risks.
“Pleasingly, there are companies who walk their talk when it comes to safety and have been early adopters of the MAX-SAFE Anti-Rollaway solution in New Zealand – Connetics, Allied Concrete and Firth Concrete are three such companies,” said Scott.
In New Zealand SGESCO-MAX goes by the name of MAX-SAFE Maximum Safety and the MAX-SAFE range of heavy vehicle safety solutions is distributed and installed national wide by Auto Electrical and Diesel (AED)
With Covid restrictions lifting, MAX-SAFE and AED plan to hold a series of field days in the second half of 2022 and into 2023 to introduce the MAX-SAFE Anti Rollaway solution to more organisations.
Details will be announced shortly.
