Allianz Worldwide Partners UK is urging those in the motor industry to sign a petition to introduce new rules to increase safety for roadside recovery technicians.
The petition has been created in order to make it a legal requirement for drivers to slow down or move over to a safe distance for vehicles that have broken down or are involved in an accident at the roadside.
Allianz said a new law would help ensure the safety of drivers, passengers and help protect those working for vehicle recovery companies.
Department for Transport figures from its 2016 annual report on road casualties Great Britain that out of 1,469 fatal crashes in Britain that resulted in one or more deaths, the police recorded 400 incidences of the contributory factor of ‘failure to look’ and a further 101 contributory factors of driver distractions inside and outside of the vehicle.
The Government has already responded to the petition, saying: "The Government considers there is robust regulation in place that includes provisions for the safety of workers on the roadside, including roadside recovery drivers."
Mark Debenham, UK network manager, procurement and network, for Allianz Worldwide Partners in the UK, said: “While the Government considers there to be adequate measures in place, we believe more needs to be done to protect those who work at the roadside, including roadside recovery operators.
“A lot of accidents involving broken down vehicles at the side of the road are caused when other drivers are either speeding or have become distracted.”
Debenham said if the petition is successful it will make significant changes and ultimately save lives.
The petition currently has over 11,000 signatures and needs to reach 100,000 signatures to be considered for debate in Parliament.
Login to comment
Comments
No comments have been made yet.