Safety is a fundamental value in both construction and transport. Following the initiative of London authorities, Eko-Okna, one of the global leaders in the production of window and door joinery, is introducing higher safety standards in its fleet of lorries.
Vision Zero for London and the Direct Vision Standard
In 2022, 1,711 people died in road accidents in the UK (excluding Northern Ireland). The downward trend has been continuing for years, and preliminary data suggests an even lower number of fatalities in 2023. However, even one fatality is too many. Therefore, London authorities have adopted the Vision Zero strategy, aiming to eliminate all fatal accidents in the city by 2041. Eko-Okna will contribute to this initiative.
The Vision Zero initiative is ambitious but achievable, especially with concrete actions being taken to meet its goals. One such action is the change in regulations coming into force on 28 October 2024, which will prohibit lorries weighing over 12 tonnes from entering Greater London if they score less than 3 stars on the five-star Direct Vision Standard (DVS) scale. The DVS mainly addresses the safety of pedestrians and cyclists, who stand no chance in a collision with heavy vehicles.
Safety Packages to Eliminate Blind Spots
Eko-Okna, a manufacturer of window and door joinery known for its fleet of over 1,000 lorries, is already adapting to this standard. Vehicles delivering Eko-Okna’s windows, doors, and other products to London have been equipped with the Progressive Safe System, a multi-component set of equipment designed primarily to eliminate blind spots, among other features.
A blind spot is a part of a vehicle's surroundings that the driver cannot see directly without additional tools. These tools, included in the Progressive Safe System, comprise mirrors, cameras, and sensors that primarily detect pedestrians and cyclists. The new equipment's screens allow the driver to see what would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye.
Eko-Okna lorries will also feature, among other things, audible signals indicating when the vehicle is turning left (with the steering wheel on the left side) and safeguards to prevent people and objects from falling under the lorries' rear wheels.
Combined with the excellent skills of Eko-Okna’s drivers, the impeccable technical condition of the vehicles, and appropriate load securing techniques, this ensures the highest safety standards in transport. For a socially responsible company like Eko-Okna, such measures are entirely natural.
