Highway Care – Highway Care launches innovative Eagle EMCC™ vehicle

Highway Care, the specialist in innovative systems to improve safety for road workers and road users, has launched the Eagle EMCC™; a GG117-compliant Enhanced Mobile Carriageway Closure vehicle.

Powered by the latest anti-incursion technology and leveraging Highway Care’s engineering expertise, the Eagle EMCC™ brings new safety and operational functionality to EMCC vehicle design, creating a solution that will help to avoid costly and disruptive road closures, while enhancing safety and efficiency for highways contractors.

Designed for deployment as either single or multiple vehicles, Highway Care’s Eagle EMCC™s are fitted with an alert system that can be activated by any vehicle with interconnecting technology. This innovative system communicates with personal wearable devices worn by each member of the contractor’s site team, generating automated audible and haptic alerts, which increase in output strength as the vehicle passes through the pre-determined stages of the process (500m warning, 200m incursion). An incursion alert can also be triggered manually using the in cab controls to warn the workforce of an errant vehicle, allowing operatives to move to a place of relative safety.

The accuracy and quality of the Eagle EMCC™s incursion alerts is due to the eight high-resolution cameras fitted to each vehicle, which are optimally positioned to ensure that every incursion is identified instantly.  Recording in HD, the cameras enable clear identification of every vehicle that passes the EMCC, regardless of the travelling speed, weather conditions or time of day. Providing a livestream to the cab and constant recording when the vehicle is in operation, these cameras enable greater safety for operatives in the event of any incursion, in addition to evidence collection to support prosecution in the event of an incursion incident.

In addition to enhancing safety for site operatives and avoiding the disruption and delay of diversions for road users, Highway Care’s Eagle EMCC™ vehicles have also been designed to optimise operational efficiency. The vehicles’ roof-mounted Variable Message Sign (VMS) has been engineered with an integral wind deflector, fully retractable, with a closed height of just 320mm (van dependent). This enables the driver to fold down the VMS using the one-touch, digital in-cab controls when it is not in use, which protects the equipment, reduces the height and wind resistance of the vehicle, and delivers greater fuel efficiency during transit.

The vehicles have been developed to offer a versatile safety and operational solution, with real-time management data and control. A dashboard provides instant access to location and operational data, enabling accurate incident reporting. Meanwhile, the in-cab touchscreen directly controls both the upper VMS and lower prism sign, enabling the operative to select the relevant sign with the push of one button. When the operative makes their selection, they receive confirmation on the touchscreen, and additional coloured LEDs indicate the position of the prism sign, even when the touchscreen is switched off. A ‘Not Stowed’ warning light is displayed to inform the driver that the VMS is not fully closed, enhancing safety by ensuring that equipment is always retracted for transit.

Development of the Eagle EMCC™ by Highway Care continues the company’s decades-long commitment to designing market leading, compliant safety systems for the UK’s highways industry and working with industry stakeholders to bring forward customer-focused safety and operational features.

As part of the development process, Highway Care held a preview event with contractors, providing an opportunity for user feedback to be embedded in any refinements.

Complementing a varied Highway Care portfolio of mobile traffic products, the Eagle EMCC™ builds on previously launched innovative solutions, including the Falcon ACLM (Automated Cone Laying Machine), SwiftGate Automated Taper System, and Road Zipper barrier transfer machine.

Ben Duncker, Commercial Director at Highway Care, comments: “The potential of the existing EMCC technique to the highways industry has been well documented. We have therefore developed our own solution, with our Eagle EMCC™ vehicle, which has technological advancements within the operating system that enhance both the functionality of the vehicle and the safety of the workforce.“We’ve understood where we could design operational benefits into our EMCC vehicle, creating a system that is easy to use, adapts to different environments and requirements, and delivers a robust and efficient design from our vehicle-based engineering background.”

Highway Care worked with partner, Core Highways, a leading provider of temporary traffic management, through the development stage to test the vehicles and gather feedback to inform further refinements of the Eagle EMCC™.

Simon White, Managing Director (Major Projects & National Clients) of Core Highways, comments: “As experts in temporary traffic management, we are constantly looking for ways to enhance safety for our teams and road users, as well as improve operational efficiency.“We are impressed with the safety and operational features included by Highway Care in the new Eagle EMCC™.

Our teams are finding the vehicles easy to operate, with controls that provide full visibility both in the cab and in the office, thanks to the dashboard. Most importantly of all, this innovative new product gives us confidence, even in the event of an incursion, that we can keep our site teams safe and ensure they are confident their wearable device will alert them to any danger.“We’re proud to have been involved in developing and trialling the Eagle EMCC™ vehicles, and believe they raise the bar for mobile road closure best practice.”