A new device designed to boost safety around commercial vehicles could help prevent hundreds of injuries to vulnerable road users.
RotaRail® is the innovative idea that creates an extra barrier against the risk – particularly to pedestrians and cyclists – of becoming caught under the wheels of a passing truck.
Legislation already dictates that most trucks over 3.5 tonnes GVW must be fitted with Lateral Protection Devices, which partially cover the area between front and rear wheels, below bodywork. To allow enough clearance for vehicles crossing uneven ground or speed humps, though, these still leave an unprotected gap of up to 500mm between their lower edge and the road surface.
This is where RotaRail® comes in. Built on a superbly simple yet elegantly effective concept, it closes off the potentially hazardous gap between axles. Its patented hinge mechanism allows the system to swing backward or forward to avoid obstacles such as uneven ground or speed humps, before automatically returning to its locked vertical position. The result is reliable protection with ample ground clearance exactly when it’s needed.
RotaRail® was developed by specialist manufacturer Twomey Precision Engineering Ltd, at its factory in County Cork, Ireland.
Managing Director Ronan Twomey recalled: “The idea for RotaRail® came about through conversations with a group of friends, all of whom are involved in the transport industry.
“We were all aware that the gap between a vehicle’s axles poses a serious risk to vulnerable road users – including pedestrians, cyclists, parents with prams and others. Unfortunately many of us have heard of, or even witnessed, incidents where individuals have become entangled in this exposed space.
“UK Government research into annual incident figures shows that, alarmingly, more than 2,000 people per year are seriously injured in accidents involving transport vehicles – and there are well over 300 fatalities.” He continued: “We decided to try and do something about it. It was clear that adding another protective rail could significantly reduce the risk, but equally evident that putting a fixed piece of bodywork so close to the road surface would cause problems for a driver manoeuvring over obstacles.
“And so, the idea for RotaRail® was born.”
The RotaRail® concept is deceptively simple. An extra rail is added to the existing Lateral Protection Device or chassis of almost any size or type of vehicle or trailer, reducing the gap to the road surface to as little as 220mm. The connection is by patented arms which are hinged to rotate, allowing the rail to deflect upwards out of harm’s way if it comes into contact with an obstruction such as a speed hump.
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