During the Victorian Transport Association’s Sandown Drive Day event in April, 3M used a display of model toy trucks to show how reflective tapes can significantly improve safety of trucks. Torches were passed around to a 200+ captive audience to see the magic of 3M™ Diamond Grade™ Reflective Tape at work in the dark.

“It’s true that seeing is believing, so the best way to demonstrate how 3M technology works is to show people,” said Agota Berces, Division Manager from 3M Traffic Safety. “We also wanted to make the demonstration fun, so rather than using real trucks, we decided to use torches and twenty model trucks with miniature reflective markings instead,” she said. The trucks were later raffled off to the audience to take home.

But there was a serious side to the demonstration. Agota Berces also talked about the key aspects of truck visibility and proven records of the success, high affordability and durability of reflective tape on trucks that have led to its implementation in European Union countries, the US and countries in Asia as well. It has been proven that 95% of rear or side collisions could be reduced using reflective tapes, which provide long distance and wide angle truck visibility day and night.

Using Diamond Grade Reflective Tapes on trucks is an asset for preventing accidents and saving lives. But they also help ensure fleets are kept running on the roads, and goods are delivered in good condition and on time. The BIG question remains… why are these safety markings not mandatory in Australia for commercial vehicles?

Sandown Drive Days are an increasingly popular event developed by the VTA for the transport and logistics industry and are held on the eastern fringe of Melbourne. All together, the audience was made up of 200+ transport and logistics industry delegates, including GMs and CEOs from different companies, industry experts, and representatives from a variety of associations.

As Gold Sponsor of the event, 3M also showed the video above to provide an overview of the benefits of reflective tape.