An angel on your vehicle's dashboard

FLEET decision-makers are under increasing pressure to ensure their drivers are safe while behind the wheel.

Blackspot Interactive is aiming to help fleet bosses achieve this with its Road Angel system, a dashboard mounted device that gives drivers advanced warning when they are approaching a speed camera or accident blackspot.

Road Angel uses GPS (global positioning satellite) technology to monitor where a vehicle is and the speed it is travelling.

It then cross-refers this to the system's in-built database which contains locations of the most serious accident blackspots, fixed speed cameras, mobile roadwork cameras and the new SPECS digital cameras.

In all, the database covers 4,500 camera locations and 2,000 accident blackspots. When a vehicle approaches a camera or accident blackspot, Road Angel provides a warning, which can be customised for volume, sound and range.

The system can also be updated by plugging the Road Angel into a computer and downloading information from the internet.

An essential tool for mobile workers

A LAPTOP computer can be as essential a tool for mobile workers as the company car. And the new GoBook II is described by its maker Itronix as the most advanced wireless, rugged laptop.

'GoBook II is designed to support the requirements of the world's growing mobile workforce – field service technicians, insurance adjustors, public safety officers, emergency services or armed forces – who need reliable, secure and consistent wireless access to data,' said Itronix vice-president marketing, Matt Gerber.

Designed with integrated wireless features that support up to three wireless networks at the same time, a removable hard drive for enhanced data security and the most powerful processor on the market, Itronix claims the GoBook II ushers in a new era of field computing capabilities. Itronix says the GoBook II is built to operate and withstand any situation a mobile workforce may encounter, including rain, snow, wind, dust, fire, shock and vibration.

Built with Intel's new Mobile Pentium IV 1.7 GHz processor, GoBook II has up to 1,024 megabytes of DRAM and up to 30 gigabytes hard drive.

Mapping solutions

ROAD atlas maker Philips has launched a range of new maps designed for the business driver.

As well as the firm's Motoring Atlas Britain 2003 (priced at £6.99 for A3 or £4.99 for A4) it also offers the spiral bound Professional Driver's Atlas Britain 2003 in A3 and A4 formats for £10.99 and the Ordnance Survey Motoring Atlas Britain 2003 in A3 spiral bound format for £9.99 and paperback for £7.99. The Professional Drivers' Atlas, aimed at car, van and truck drivers, includes 56 town centre maps, airport plans, route planners, journey times, size and weight limits and details of rescue services and accommodation.

No excuses

FLEET drivers have no excuse for grimy car interiors with the launch of three new wipes that promise no-fuss cleaning.

Armor All cites its Glass Wipes, Dashboard Wipes and Clean-up Wipes as the 'one-step solution to a clean screen, clean dash, clean car and clean conscience'. They come in a flip-top container that dispenses 25 individual wipes and retail at £3.79.

Win one of six Stoplock wheel immobilisers VEHICLE security is high on the agenda for any fleet executive and one of the latest products aimed at reducing vehicle crime is the Stoplock Professional steering wheel immobiliser, manufactured by Saxon.

Fleet NewsNet has teamed up with Saxon, a partner in the Home Office campaign to reduce vehicle crime, to offer readers the chance to win one of six Stoplock Professionals.

Theft from and of vehicles is the single largest crime in the UK and affects commercial vehicles as well as private cars.

Stoplock Professional is used in crime reduction initiatives by police forces throughout the UK. The high degree of acceptance of Stoplock among police authorities results from successful tests carried out independently by police crime reduction teams in the areas of Kent and, more recently, South Wales.

In both cases, not one vehicle fitted with a Thatcham Category 3 accredited Stoplock Professional was the subject of any car crime during the test period.

Thatcham is an independent testing body funded by the Association of British Insurers. Using qualified engineers, they test and evaluate vehicle security devices. The Thatcham Category 3 rating is applied to mechanical security devices achieving attack resistance times of five minutes or more.