Transport for London's Future Truck Design Awards needs your innovative ideas to make the operation of the freight industry on the UK's streets safer.

With the population of the UK expected to rise to 81 million by 2060, making the UK one of the most densely populated countries in Europe, our towns and cities are getting increasingly busy. The freight industry must feed the urban economy and, with more traffic than ever sharing our crowded streets, making these large goods vehicles as safe as possible for other road users is vital.

The new Future Truck Design Awards are intended to explore all aspects of improving the safety of the design and operation of trucks in our towns and cities. While great strides have already been made in improving the design of lorries operating in urban areas, this design competition asks students to create potentially radical and game changing ideas that could be incorporated into the trucks of the future.

So this is more than a theoretical exercise and the chance to win a £1,000 cash prize – the safer vehicle designs and systems of operation developed for these awards could save lives.

Who can enter?

There is both an undergraduate and postgraduate category for the Awards:

Postgraduate – intended for individual students studying for a postgraduate qualification or who have completed a degree in the 12 month period to 26th April 2016.

Undergraduate - intended for individual students studying for a their first degree at a UK university, college or design school.

What are the Awards Categories?

Whole Vehicle Design: Entries will produce designs covering the whole of the vehicle and will be expected to have designed safety features into the overall vehicle package

Safety Feature Innovation: Entries will produce ideas for new safety features which could be added to the vehicle to improve safety

System of Operation: Entries will produce ideas for innovation in urban freight deliveries which would have a significant impact on safety in operation

What can be won?

Postgraduate

The judges will nominate two overall winners to win a week’s work experience at the Mercedes-Benz Special Projects Design School in Germany

Undergraduate

The winners of each category will win the opportunity to join a 4 –day study trip to Volvo Trucks in Sweden, where they will be able to present their winning entries to Volvo’s chief designer and visit the factory.

All individual winners will win a £1000 cash prize, with up to two highly commended entries receiving £500.

How do I enter?

The entries should consists of an introductory text submission (maximum 1,000 words) along with up to five diagrams or drawings covering:

• Problem analysis/research
• Concept development
• In context storyboards
• Design details
• Final presentation visuals

Entries should be submitted online at the Future Truck Design Awards website before the deadline of 11 March 2016.