BRIGADE Electronics has been named the Diversity and Inclusion Champion of the Year 2023 at the Logistics UK Awards for its work with international development organisation, Transaid.
Brigade has been involved in commercial vehicle safety since 1976 when it introduced the first reversing alarm to the UK. Earlier this year, the company pledged its support as a formal corporate partner of Transaid, which is focused on improving road safety and access to healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa.
In this region, Brigade explained that road deaths are the third biggest killer after HIV/AIDS and malaria and this problem is only expected to increase as the population grows. A lack of legal enforcement and training combined with issues of poor vehicle maintenance and overloading, puts all road users, including pedestrians, at risk.
Transaid focuses on providing professional driver training, fleet management, and increased rural access to essential services, to solve some of the major transport challenges.
A core element of Transaid’s driver training programmes is partnerships with specialist training centres across multiple countries, which aim to improve the standard of training for drivers. As part of its support, Brigade has equipped two trucks with safety equipment to aid new drivers training at Transaid’s partner training centre in Zambia.
Both vehicles have been fitted with equipment including AHD side cameras and a seven-inch AHD colour monitor in the driver’s cab. The cameras activate when the truck’s indicators are switched on and are designed to eliminate blind spots and improve the driver’s view of both sides of the vehicle. Courtesy of Microlise, both trucks have also been fitted with telematics equipment.
Peter Squire, MD of Brigade Electronics UK, said, “We are thrilled to have been recognised for our work with Transaid. The charity does outstanding work and we are delighted that we are making a difference in helping them to achieve their goals and improve road safety.
“Equipping these two trucks with cutting edge vehicle safety equipment ensures that new drivers are learning the best and most professional driving techniques with the aid of state-of-the-art technology. It is this combination of support that will ultimately help to prevent deaths and injuries on African roads.”
