Discounters Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd have pledged to introduce electronic ‘turn-off assistants’ to their truck fleet, following consultation with German transport minister Andreas Scheuer.
The turn-off systems help prevent accidents by notifying truck drivers with a beep, in the event that persons are in the blind spot next to the vehicle. Side cameras on the cab are also intended to reduce the risk of accidents.
According to accident research by insurer UDV, about 200 potential accidents a year could be prevented by the use of turn-off assistants.
Under the new agreement, both discounters will only use trucks that boast side cameras or feature turn-off assistance as part of future acquisitions, with the new systems set to be integrated in all vehicles purchased from 2019. The retailers have also pledged to train up their employees, to make them aware of how to use the new systems.
"Today, we have around 700 trucks driving through Germany, and we are therefore pleased to be able to set an important example with this decision," commented Pascal Braun, the managing director of logistics at Aldi Nord. "Aldi Nord stands for responsible action."
In addition, Erwin Krutzenbichler, the head of logistics at Aldi Süd, added that the retailer was "happy to take on this safety partnership to ensure more safety on the roads".
Netto Makes A Move
Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd aren't the only retailers adopting turn-off assistance technology into their truck fleet. Netto Marken-Discount has installed the systems on all of the 150 new trucks that it has purchased since last year.
The discounter's aim is for its entire fleet of trucks – around 500 in total – to boast turn-off assistants by next year.
Earlier this week, German transport minister Scheuer invited some of Germany's leading businesses to Berlin for a round-table discussion on road safety.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
