Smart Helps To Save Lives
Published: 1st October 2002
A smart city coupe, which has been fitted with paramedic body panels and a special siren designed for driving in confined and crowded public areas, is on trial with the East Anglian Ambulance Service.
A solo paramedic can drive the revolutionary, two-seater car into crowded shopping centres, narrow pedestrian areas, or airport terminals, carrying life saving resuscitation equipment right up to the scene of an incident. City centre environments with tight corners, height restrictions and narrow walkways can be difficult for larger vehicles to navigate, losing vital time in the critical first few minutes after an emergency.
The eye-catching paramedic smart is currently being tested in Cambridge. Matthew Ware, PR & Communications Manager for the East Anglian Ambulance Service said: "We are always looking for new ways to reach patients as fast as possible in our congested towns and cities. The smart city coupe is the ultimate urban vehicle and so it makes sense for us to test it in Cambridge, which can have some fairly serious traffic problems."
Dermot Kelly, Director Mercedes-Benz and smart said: "With more than 10,000 smart on British roads we are seeing many unusual uses for this versatile and flexible car. The car has the potential to manoeuvre in tight spaces, to get around city centre traffic jams and to park in places that would be far too small for conventional vehicles."
Prices of smart start from £6,295 on the road, and standard specification
across the range includes ABS, the TRUSTPLUS electronic traction control
system, driver and passenger airbags, electric windows, remote central
locking, rev counter, clock and RDS radio cassette.
