May 2000: DRIVER safety and car security will be the main focus of a campaign aimed at European fleet managers by the manufacturers of a laminated glass product.

Manufacturers, including Peugeot, Volvo and Audi, have already introduced EPG (enhanced protective glass) as standard or as an option in their latest models.

Solutia, maker of the Saflex interlayer used in the glass, is now targeting pan-European fleet decision-makers, saying the glass offers 10 times more protection than standard toughened glass.

It claims the laminated glass will thwart spontaneous crime, protecting the car and any valuables inside.

At a demonstration, a laminated side window was broken after two minutes 13 seconds using bricks and a hammer - about 60 times longer than a thief would take to break the glass in most cars.

Michele van Russelt, Solutia's automotive marketing development director for Europe and Asia said the company wanted to wait for manufacturers to start offering the safety glass as an option before promoting it to fleets.

'It's now used by Audi, Mercedes, BMW, Rolls-Royce and Bentley,' he said. 'It will also be a feature of the new Peugeot 607 and it is an option on the Volvo S80 and V70 models.'

A Volvo spokesman said: 'We have seen the option being taken up by fleet business users who are obviously concerned about vehicle and personal safety.'