Breakthrough for alcolock in heavy commercial vehicles

More than one in every four heavy trucks sold by Volvo in Sweden is now factory-fitted with an alcolock. “It marks a milestone for traffic safety on Swedish roads,” says Carl Johan Almqvist, Traffic and Product Safety Director at Volvo Trucks.

Alcohol is the direct cause of roughly 30 per cent of all fatal road accidents. One effective way of countering this problem is to fit alcolocks, which prevent the vehicle from being started by a driver who is over the legal blood alcohol limit.

“Very few commercial vehicle drivers drive under the influence of alcohol. However, since the consequences of an accident with a heavy vehicle can be so serious, it is important to do everything possible to prevent anyone from getting behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol,” explains Carl Johan Almqvist.

Volvo Trucks has been offering a factory-fitted alcolock since 2005 - and is still the only truck manufacturer to do so. Interest among customers has gradually increased and now many large and mid-sized haulage firms now have a policy of equipping their trucks with alcolocks.

“More and more customers are seeing the alcolock as a quality-enhancing tool – there should be no doubt that the company’s drivers are sober behind the wheel,” says Carl Johan Almqvist.

One in every four trucks equipped with an alcolock

To help more customers discover the benefits of the alcolock, Volvo Trucks offered a discount on factory-fitted alcolocks to all customers in Sweden in 2010 and this prompted a significant increase in sales. During the first six months of 2010, a quarter of all heavy trucks sold were equipped with factory-fitted alcolocks. What is more, alcolocks were retro-fitted to several hundred Swedish trucks during the same period.

Sweden has made most progress in the world when it comes to alcolocks in heavy commercial vehicles, however, interest is increasing in other countries too. For example, both Finland and France have introduced legislation requiring school buses to be fitted with the safety device.

“The attitude to alcohol in traffic has become much tougher in many markets in recent years and I’m convinced that increasing numbers of haulage companies will soon realise the benefits of the alcolock. The Swedish example shows just how quickly a breakthrough can happen,” concludes Carl Johan Almqvist.