At the start of the new school year, TVH - global player in the field of lift trucks and industrial vehicles and parts for those machines - organised awareness campaigns for (schoolgoing) bicycle traffic around its headquarters in the Waregem-Zuid industrial zone. On 2 and 3 September, the company not only handed out informative flyers, but also pastries.
With its campaign, TVH wants to start the new school year safely, and is already looking forward to 'Mobility Week'. Last year, the company organised a similar campaign. Just as then, some TVH colleagues were waiting at one of the company exits to inform passing cyclists about the dangers on the road, and more specifically about manoeuvring trucks and the blind spot. And now, the cyclists received a little more than just information.
Preventive work on road safety
TVH makes many efforts in making both lorry drivers and cyclists aware of the dangers on the road. Isabelle Van de Voorde, Corporate Marketing & Communications Manager at TVH: "With this awareness campaign, we hope to preventively increase safety - a goal that fits in perfectly with our vision of corporate social responsibility." For its initiative, TVH received support from the City of Waregem and the Waregem Police.
Raising awareness among more than 180 cyclists
It was no coincidence that TVH organised its awareness campaign along an exit from the industrial zone along the Vichtseweg. Every day, on average 150 cyclists pass there every morning on the two-way bicycle path. "Our campaign reached more than 180 people", says Frederik Hanssens, Safety, Health & Environment Manager at TVH. "We're certainly happy with those results. The more cyclists are aware of the dangers, both in general and along this dangerous stretch, the more accidents we can hopefully avoid."
Other efforts
The past years, TVH also made other efforts to help prevent accidents between lorries and cyclists. For example, they built wider loading docks, provided training courses for lorry drivers and placed various types of traffic signs.
Photo (from left to right): Heidi Debrabandere (Safety, Health & Environment Advisor), Michael Puype (Teamleader Plant R), Karolien Lecluyse (Teamleader Pickpack)