The 21 vehicles are being fitted with camera recording systems, reverse radar, and the Cyclear cyclist warning system.
Kirklees has sourced the equipment from UK vehicle safety technology company Innovative Safety Systems Ltd (ISS).
Darren Fletcher, fleet manager for transport services at Kirklees council, said: “Our fleet has an excellent safety record and we want to keep it that way.
“Our existing collection vehicles are already well equipped with a full range of ISS safety equipment.”
Technology
“The technology that we install on to our vehicles plays a vital role”
A safety control unit with monitoring features protects against external influences, component failure and sabotage.
Mr Fletcher said: “The technology that we install on to our vehicles plays a vital role in keeping the general public and our staff safe.
“We use the recorded camera footage to ensure our vehicle operations are compliant, as well as for monitoring purposes to ensure health and safety best practice is being followed.
“The cameras also provide invaluable evidence in the event of insurance claims, service complaints or accidents.”
Kirklees
Waste and recycling collection and disposal in Kirklees are covered by Suez under a 25-year contract which began in 1998.
Representing a population of 439,000, Kirklees council had a recycling rate of 24.3% in the 2018/19 financial year.
Mike Crowther, sales manager at ISS, said: “Kirklees council’s commitment to fleet safety is commendable and reflected in its excellent safety record.
“We are delighted to work with such a progressive organisation.”
[*Story updated on 24/07 at 15:38 to remove mention of ‘anti-terror’ safety technology, which was mentioned previously but is no longer being fitted.]
Subscribe for free