700 Mercedes-Benz Sprinters Head to the UK

German carmaker Daimler will deliver 700 Mercedes-Benz Sprinters to the UK starting May 2010, after it has received a major order from Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions (BBUS), a Sheffield large construction firm. The new fleet of vans will form part of BBUS’ Zero Harm initiative, which aims to achieve a maximum level of occupational safety for all its employees by 2012.

The order consists primarily of Sprinter 313 CDI panel vans of 3.5 tons GVW, but the carmaker will also deliver Sprinter chassis with various bodies, as well as a number of five-ton variants, all of them equipped with Euro 5-compatible engines.

All the vehicles are equipped as standard with the latest version of the ESP stability program, adaptive brake lights, front passenger airbags and a seatbelt warning system.

“For years now, we’ve been working on steadily reducing the number of traffic accidents among our drivers, focusing particularly on driver training programs and schooling,” Brent Mitchell, Head of Support Services at BBUS, said in a release. “Our partnership with Mercedes-Benz will bring us an important step forward in improving driver safety. The fact that the Sprinter is without doubt the safest van in its class was its crucial selling point.”

Mercedes-Benz managed to increase its market share in the 1.8 tonne - 3.5 tonne segment in the UK last year. The German automaker managed to get a market share of 14.96% and an increase of 3.4% in its five year market share due to the success of the Sprinter and Vito models.