Fleet operators get screen safety checks ready for winter

Transport operators are so concerned about ensuring that their vehicles are ready for extreme winter weather that they are also including their staff’s personal vehicles in windscreen safety checks, according to National Mobile Windscreens.

Amey, who has depots in Birmingham, is the latest operator to invite National Mobile Windscreens’ experts to check their staff’s vehicles for vehicle glass defects.

Amey is responsible for improving and maintaining Birmingham Highways infrastructure, including 2,500km of road network, nearly 100,000 street lights, as well as over 850 highway structures and bridges across the city, in partnership with Birmingham City Council.

More than 150 staff cars were examined by the National Mobile Windscreens team from the Birmingham branch at Phoenix Park, Avenue Road in Aston.

“Generally we find that around one fifth of the vehicles that we examine require either glass replacement or repair,” said Martyn Bennett, sales and marketing director.

“In this case, the figure was considerably lower and only a few staff cars needed attention,” he said.

“But this figure can be higher for private motorists who may be finding it difficult to keep pace with the risking cost of motoring, or the smaller fleet operators struggling to stay competitive.

“Many of the defects we have found require immediate attention, while many other can lead to a glass failure if repairs or replacement are delayed much longer.”

National Mobile Windscreens say that some fleet operators may be reluctant to spend time carrying out general safety inspections on their vehicles, or may be postponing any repair work because of their demanding work schedules.

“We included our staff cars in the safety check because we believe that it is important to identify any vehicle glass defect and to delay any repair or replacement is a false economy, said Amey transport manager, Tony Mathews.

“A damaged windscreen can fail at any time and our staff knows that it is better to have the work carried out when it is convenient rather than as a last-minute emergency,” he said.