RENAULTS are helping the Vehicle Inspectorate to improve road safety and environmental standards. In a £870,000-plus contract, 43 New Master vans are being supplied for use as mobile units for random roadside checks on vehicles all over the UK.

The New Master, voted the International Van of the Year in 1998, will be adapted to suit the needs of the Government agency. As well as being able to transport the wide range of equipment necessary to set up random roadside checks, extra facilities will include an office where staff can interview drivers and access their details on a database via an on-board PC.

The roadside inspections involve carrying out spot checks on vehicles to ensure they comply with safety and emission standards, together with audits on drivers of commercial vehicles to check that they are complying with documentation requirements.