Transport operators are so concerned about ensuring that their vehicles are ready for extreme winter weather that they are also including their staff's personal vehicles in windscreen safety checks. Amey, which has depots in Birmingham, is the latest operator to invite National Windscreens' experts to check their staff's vehicles for glass defects.

Amey is responsible for improving and maintaining Birmingham Highways infrastructure, including 2,500km of road network, nearly 100,000 street lights, as well as over 850 highway structures and bridges across the city, in partnership with Birmingham City Council.
More than 150 staff cars were examined by the National Windscreens team from the Birmingham branch in Aston.

"Generally we find that around one fifth of the vehicles that we examine require either glass replacement or repair," said Martyn Bennett, Regional Sales and Marketing Director. He continues: "In this case, the figure was considerably lower and only a few staff cars needed attention. But this figure can be higher for private motorists who may be finding it difficult to keep pace with the cost of motoring, or the smaller fleet operators struggling to stay competitive. Many of the defects we have found require immediate attention, while many others can lead to a glass failure if repairs or replacement are delayed much longer."

National Windscreens say that some fleet operators may be reluctant to spend time carrying out general safety inspections on their vehicles, or may be postponing any repair work because of their demanding work schedules.