HGV crashes key concern despite praise for DfT
The Department for Transport has been congratulated for being on course to meet its road casualty reduction targets but MPs say there remain key areas of concern with the number of crashes involving HGVs, and particularly foreign-registered vehicles, the biggest issue...
The comments came in the annual House of Commons Transport Committee report, which also identifi es the recent rise in pedal cyclist deaths and serious injuries, an increase in the number of fatal single-vehicle crashes on rural roads and more 'hit and run' incidents as other areas for a more concerted safety focus.
In addition, the backbench MPs also highlight drink-driving, drugdriving and speeding as continuing to 'bring danger to large numbers of road users'.
MPs reserved their major criticism for the truck sector saying that as a committee 'we have repeatedly drawn attention to the collision involvement rates of lorries, and foreign-registered lorries in particular'.
For the first time, the Department's 2005 casualty statistics identify separately British-registered and foreignregistered lorries. The statistics, say the MPs, paint a stark picture of the 'very serious problem' faced.
The data reveals that 40% of HGVs involved in collisions were foreign-registered, even though foreign-registered lorries compose just 3% of the HGVs on the road. On an incidence per million vehicle kilometres basis, the Freight Transport Association has calculated that foreign left-hand drive vehicles are 29 times more likely to be involved in a 'sideswipe' collision than domestic vehicles.
HGV non-compliance rates from targeted roadside enforcement checks in the southeast in 2005/6 by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency show that offences for GB registered vehicles were: drivers' hours 8.2%, HGV roadworthiness 24.6%, trailer roadworthiness 30.1% and overloading 13.1%. For foreignregistered vehicles the equivalent fi gures in 2005 were 25%, 30.6%, 42.8% and 17.6%.
The MPs said: "In one sense, we are impressed by the effectiveness of the pilot scheme run in southeast England.
"On the other hand, however, we are disturbed that during the course of the pilot, 44% of UK and foreign goods vehicles checked were issued with prohibition notices. Such a high rate of noncompliance with safety standards by heavy goods vehicles - and particularly foreign-registered vehicles - is a reason for real concern.
"It suggests that the total number of unroadworthy lorries currently on our roads is staggeringly and unacceptably high.
"The Department must ensure that the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) is provided with more resources to invest in enforcement checks, which will raise compliance levels to an acceptable level.
"The Department cannot divorce itself from this crisis of noncompliance: it must state what action it will take and when."
Meanwhile, the latest available data shows that the number of people killed or seriously injured in 2005 was 33% below the 1994- 98 average (against a target of 40% by 2010) and the number of children killed or seriously injured was 49% below the 1994-98 average (against a target of 50%).
The report added that the Department was also on track to meet the added objective of tackling the significantly higher incidence of casualties in disadvantaged communities.
But, said the MPs: "Although the progress in casualty reduction is encouraging, the overall death and injury rate is still high - with 32,155 people killed or seriously injured in 2005 - and continual efforts must be made to prevent as many road casualties as possible."