Driving safely on the roads and being able to
prove it is an important way in which
Safety is, of course, the paramount concern of the transport industry.
Currently, around 8% of road traffic accidents involve trucks and lorries, but they are responsible for over a quarter of all casualties.
Clearly, this is due to their sheer size and weight.
The number means that somewhere in the region of 20,000 people are injured in a lorry accident in the UK each year.Many accidents occur when drivers hit a lorry from behind as they were driving too close to stop their vehicle in time.
Others happen when a lorry pulls out in front of another vehicle on the motorway, whilst a jaknifed lorry can cause fatalities and major hold-ups.
Road safety is important for its own sake, of course. But insurance is also a major cost.
And it looks like becoming even more important if Government proposals to increase the size of lorries get the green light.
Recent Government research suggests that lengthening the lorries is “not expected to result in a noticeable increase in road traffic accidents.
Although the risk per vehicle may be marginally higher, the reduction in the number of vehicle movements means that the overall number of HGV accidents is expected to fall.”
But insurance costs may still rise in the same way that 4×4 cars are more costly to insure than saloon or estate family cars due to the increased damage they tend to cause to their surroundings given their larger size and increased weight.
So truck safety and safety policies look like becoming even more important.
Regularly reviewing driver safety and regular training will help ensure drivers are reminded of the paramount importance of safety and ensure they are up-to-date with recent safety rules and suggestions.
Such action will also cut the insurance bill.
