OVI schreef op 23 februari 2011 10:20:
The UK’s Freight Transport Association (FTA) has endorsed the latest truck-friendly satellite navigation unit that should put paid to the problems caused by truck drivers taking their vehicles down narrow roads or under low bridges after using satnav units designed for cars. The TomTom PRO7100 Truck, which is now available from the FTA, is the product of close collaboration between the satnav companies and the industry and directly answers recent government calls for a solution to the chaos and damage that can be caused by misdirected truck drivers.
In 2009, Norman Baker MP, now a transport minister, identified 20 routes in England and Wales, which he considered were suffering from heavy goods vehicles being misdirected along them by satnavs and causing all sorts of costly and unsafe logistical issues. Following thorough testing and analysis, the FTA is satisfied that with the TomTom PRO7100 Truck, there would be no problem with inappropriate routing of trucks along any of the ‘hotspots’. All drivers have to do is enter their vehicle’s weight and dimensions into the unit and it will plan a route based on appropriate clearance heights, weight restrictions, speed restrictions and problematic sharp turns. Crucially, the unit also provides appropriate routing even in the absence of statutory restrictions. Of the 20 ‘hotspots’ identified by Baker, only one of them was due to a statutory restriction, in this case a low bridge. The unit can be adapted to suit a variety of different size vehicles, even caravans and RVs (Recreational Vehicle), and a map share function allows drivers to make corrections to their map by adding their own access restriction information.
Head of road freight policy at the FTA, James Firth, said, “Obviously, the FTA wants to ensure that the products it stocks are top notch so, without any governmental influence, we worked closely with the satnav industry over the past few years to develop and refine a better ‘truck-nav’; the TomTom PRO7100 Truck is it. This particular unit has been rigorously tested by us and, following a recent plea from the transport minister for government to engage with satnav companies to solve the problem of inappropriate satnav routing, we hope this helps to reassure Government that a perfectly robust solution already exists.” Firth continued, “It was over three years ago that the FTA challenged the satellite navigation industry to develop a product aimed at HGVs (Heavy Goods Vehicles). The result is a product that will help drivers avoid obstacles, save money and time, protect buildings and infrastructure and prevent chaos along our urban and rural road networks.”
22 February 2011