Dawes Highway Safety is now selling a sideguard panel designed to prevent people or equipment becoming entangled with an HGV's under-run bars.
The panels are made from a shatterproof, durable grade of polypropylene with no sharp edges and the company said they can be easily retrofitted to existing lorry under-run bars.
During a collision, the material is designed to bend and soften the impact for the vulnerable road user.
MD James Dawes said: “Most UK vehicles are now fitted with under-run bars; unfortunately while these may partly assist a vulnerable road user during accidents, they were originally designed for vehicle collisions and research shows they may actually contribute to ‘entanglement’ and increase injury risk.”
Panels can be designed to dimensions to fit individual operators’ requirements and can incorporate company branding if desired.
The firm last month launched its DropDown retractable safety barrier for HGVs at the Freight in the City Expo at London’s Alexandra Palace.
It said it has since been receiving a high volume of interest in the new technology designed for urban operations.