Imagine this – you are driving to work on the highway one morning when a ladder suddenly comes off the vehicle in front of you. It’s more common than you might think – the silent danger lurking on our roads. Not securing a ladder properly might seem like a minor oversight, but on the highways at 110kph, they become deadly projectiles, transforming a routine journey into a dangerous situation that can wreak havoc in seconds.
The Claw is a simple, practical, and effective way of locking down ladders on vehicles. It is a patented product made right here in Australia by a world-class manufacturer, AMEC Plastics of Arundel, Queensland.
The Claw will have a profound effect on road safety.
The Claw, a simple and effective way of securing ladders to vehicles for safe travel, is the brainchild of Chris Renouf.
In 2017, Chris's routine drive on the M1 motorway to Brisbane turned into a pivotal life moment. He witnessed a harrowing scene—a tradie’s extension ladder came loose, turning into a dangerous projectile that wreaked havoc across four lanes of traffic, travelling at 110kph. This catastrophic accident not only claimed lives but also left an indelible mark on Chris.
“The memory of that day still haunts me," Chris reflects. "It propelled me to devise a way to prevent such accidents during the downtime I had in the Covid lockdown."
In the US, nearly 1,000 deaths and about 20,000 injuries annually underscore the global scale caused by loose loads. While statistics in Australia might not fully capture the frequency of ladder-related incidents, the evidence from dashcam footage and social media stories is compelling.
“Through trial and error and hours of design, I created The Claw, a ‘safety first design’ with the ability to quickly secure ladders on vehicle roof racks and transport them safely,” Chris said.
Designed and manufactured on the Gold Coast, 'The Claw' is the quickest ladder securing device on the market, compatible with all ladder types and roof rack configurations. Moreover, being lockable, it doubles as a security measure to prevent ladder theft—an increasingly common concern as ladders can cost thousands of dollars.
With over a million tradesmen commuting with ladders daily, The Claw is a much-needed solution tailored specifically for the challenges faced by tradies and anyone transporting ladders.
For those ready to make safety a priority on the roads, The Claw is available for pre-order now. Secure your ladders, safeguard your journeys, and join us in our mission to make roads safer.
