Stuttgart / London – In Great Britain, a panel of judges from the influential London Cycling Campaign (LCC) has named Mercedes-Benz Trucks the winner of the "Pro-cycling Business of the Year Award" at the London Cycling Awards 2016. London's cyclists have voted the Mercedes-Benz Econic the No. 1 in this category. The Econic was highly praised especially for the driver's low seat position and unmatched panoramic field of vision. The award was presented at "Spin – The Cycling Festival", which took place at the Old Truman Brewery media complex in London's East End.
Giving the reasons for their decision, the judges stressed that Mercedes-Benz had become the first company to meet the high safety standards of "Clocs" (Construction Logistics and Cyclist Safety) and also LCC for construction-site vehicles by introducing a cab with a low entrance, low floor height and extensive all-round field of vision that greatly reduces the number of blind spots.
The panel of judges, headed by Dr. Ashok Sinha, Chief Executive of the London Cycling Campaign, explained: "By adapting to our requirements, Mercedes-Benz is making an active contribution to significantly improved protection for cyclists and pedestrians, who can be seen considerably faster and better by Econic drivers. Today, we honour those whose vim and vigour, innovation and determination has helped to raise the standard of safety on London's streets".
The low height of the Mercedes-Benz Econic, and consequently low seat position of the driver, is augmented by the deep and especially wide panoramic windscreen as well as by the folding door on the co-driver's side, which is fully glazed from top to bottom. This cab configuration means that the driver's head is almost on a level with that of a cyclist. Consequently, direct visual contact between driver and cyclist is possible at all times. Dazzling of the driver by intense sunlight is prevented by an electrically operated sunblind that extends across the entire width of the windscreen. An innovative blind spot camera system uses four vehicle-mounted cameras to increase the driver's view of the areas to the front, side and rear of the vehicle. In combination with the interior and exterior rear-view mirror system, the blind-spot camera system makes for enhanced safety, particularly when turning, while stopped at traffic lights or when working at the roadside.
More than 130 Econic vehicles are now in operation in the British capital.
