HGVs should require high visibility chevrons, as seen on highway maintenance vehicles, according to safety marking specialist Chapter8 Shop.
Since 2009, the amount of goods moved by HGVs has increased by 40%, from approximately 75 billion tonnes to just over 105 billon tonnes. Despite this sharp rise, the law has barely changed to make roads a safer place, claims Chapter8 Shop.
HGVs were involved in 5,819 accidents in 2016, resulting in 1,230 fatalities or serious injuries and 396 of these were due to external factors that impacted vision, according to the Department of Transport figures.
Current legislation only requires HGVs to add simple markings to outline the shape of the vehicle on the rear and a horizontal line marking the length of the vehicle on the side.
Greg Saunderson, project manager at Chapter8 Shop believes that HGVs should require high visibility chevrons, as seen on highway maintenance vehicles.
He said: “The law needs to change. We deal with professional road users on a daily basis who share horrifying stories of HGVs being involved in accidents or near-misses due to their poor visibility.
“I’d like to see the Government implement legislation requiring HGVs and other large vehicles to have high visibility reflective chevrons. This will help not only on motorways, but minor roads too.”
PC Darren Storr, from Humberside Police’s Traffic Management Unit, said: “Although it is very difficult to identify whether or not high-visibility chevrons would have any effect on road safety, Humberside Police would welcome any improvements which would increase the visible presence of motor vehicles.”
John4870 - 05/02/2018 11:21
This article completely misses the point. Most collisions result from drivers not concentrating - it happens not because they can't see the truck, but because they just didn't - due to carelessness!