Peugeot has put its new Partner van’s Surround Rear Vision system to the test by challenging six UK tradspersons in a head-to-head safety-boosting reversing test.
Plumbers, Electricians and Carpenters used the all-new Peugeot Partner van’s Surround Rear Vision to navigate a specially designed obstacle course made up of building site materials in reverse. The challenge focused on precision rather than speed, with a 20-second penalty each time a driver made a mistake.
Peugeot’s Surround Rear Vision technology has been developed to increase all round visibility to reduce parking and reversing accidents, highlighting the 1-in-10 accidents occurring when reversing.
Research from the Department for Transport shows reversing and parking remains an on-going issue for van drivers, with 1,152 parking and reversing accidents reported in 2017. The time spent away from work is compounded by costly repairs. The Association for British Insurers previously estimated average vehicle repair costs in the UK have risen by more than a third since 2013, with the average repair bill following an accident at £2,137, Peugeot added.
David Peel, managing director of Peugeot UK, said: “More than three vans a day are involved in a parking or reversing accident, costing businesses time and money. Our Surround Rear Vision technology will undoubtedly reduce that figure as drivers have a far better view of their surroundings.”
Dodging bricks, pallets and woodpiles, and executing parking manoeuvres, the Electricians came out on top, after safely navigating the course in the quickest time of 4m 49s after penalty deductions.
AJ Cookson, from the winning team of Electricians, said: “A reversing or parking prang can easily cause damage to our vehicles and disruption to our businesses. This not only means we’re unable to use the van for work while it is off road for repairs, but also hits our insurance premiums. Scruffy looking vehicles also project a poor image to our customers – we want our vans to look as good as the job we’re there to do.
“The Surround Rear Vision system takes a lot of the stress away when reversing, especially in our blind spots. With panel vans, we have no rear view mirror to use, so technology like Surround Rear Vision is a huge benefit.”
https://youtu.be/5xJhEkqnNuo
