Monday 22nd September 2008

Foreign Trucks 'More Dangerous Than UK HGVs'

Report suggests foreign trucks are eight times more dangerous

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Foreign lorries are eight times more dangerous than British trucks, it has been revealed. Foreign HGVs only make up 1% of the total in the country but were involved in 163 accidents in which someone either died or suffered serious injuries in on year. This was nearly 8% of the total involving heavy goods vehicles. Meanwhile British hauliers, which account for the vast majority, were involved in 1,956.

Campaigners argue that part of the problem is that foreign lorries are maintained to lower standards than British ones. Over one in five trucks operated by foreign hauliers have been found to be unroadworthy and often drivers from overseas cannot see other motorists because the trucks are left-hand drive.

‘It is quite clear that foreign lorries operating on UK roads are most certainly not maintained to the sort of safety level which has been created by the UK operator licensing regime,’ said a spokesman for the Freight Transport Association. ‘The UK licensing system, involving annual tests and roadside inspections, has resulted in UK lorries being the safest on the roads and, on a mile for mile basis, being involved in about half the number of accidents as cars. We estimate that, on a mile for mile basis, a foreign lorry is three times more likely to be involved in an accident than a UK vehicle.’

Robert Gifford, Executive Director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, has backed the call for tougher action. He said 'The government has at long last recognised in these figures the over-representation of foreign registered HGVs in accidents on British roads.'

[PhilLL]

It's about time they tried to take a tougher stance on foreign registered HGVs.

Blatant disregard for average speed cameras through roadworks and sitting 2 inches from your bumper being a particular personal bugbear.

[cowellsj]

And will anything at all be done, no because there's no doubt a world of paperwork involved and it much easier (read profitable) to dish out some fines to british motorists for driving 4mph over the speed limit...

[d.rocky]

i dont think we needed a report to tell us this!

[White-Noise]

Are we really surprised at all?

Arent the foreign lorries also heavier than our ones, hence all the ruts in the roads?

[Dogsey]

No st Sherlock.

[Alfanatic]

Just out of curiosity... are British registered lorries 8 times safer on the continent than the local lorries?

[kicks]

I'm not fifth gears greatest fan but they covered this topic years ago in detail.

[Lextacy]

I seriously hope that another enquiry or committee was not set up to state the obvious ! What a waste of Tax payers funds! Government departments should learn to tell us what we do not know, as opposed to what we already know !!!

[nickfrog]

PhilLL said:

Blatant disregard for average speed cameras through roadworks and sitting 2 inches from your bumper being a particular personal bugbear.

This could apply to many drivers/vehicles, whether HGV or cars whether British or otherwise.
Incredible amount of hypocrisy.

[taldo50]

wondered when the argument would start!

[suffolkpaul]

its not hypocracy. It would be a complete waste of money to carry out a report on roads where we have no jurisdiction. let European countires carry out their own review and deal accordingly.

just out of interest anybody know if it would be legal to charge a temporat RFL to foreign HGV's forcing them to carry a temporary Number plate? in the same way that hire cars in the states have specific number plates. everyones a winner. more tax for the government and some form of retribution in terms of offences. and possibly more work for UK based hauliers.

[telecat]

This is exactly the sort of thing BRAKE was set up for. So the question is why aren't they doing something about it???????????????????????????

[Sook]

8 times more dangerous? As far as I can work out British HGVs cause 92% of the accidents making them 12 times more likely to be involved in an serious accident than a foreign HGV.

This doesn't excuse their poor driving.

[jimmy306]

Sook said:

8 times more dangerous? As far as I can work out British HGVs cause 92% of the accidents making them 12 times more likely to be involved in an serious accident than a foreign HGV.

This doesn't excuse their poor driving.

Its reltive, there are far more british HGV's on the roads, and therefore will be involved in more accidents overall.

[Sook]

jimmy306 said:

Sook said:

8 times more dangerous? As far as I can work out British HGVs cause 92% of the accidents making them 12 times more likely to be involved in an serious accident than a foreign HGV.

This doesn't excuse their poor driving.

Its reltive, there are far more british HGV's on the roads, and therefore will be involved in more accidents overall.

Exactly. It's badly worded. They account for 8 times more accidents than they do HGVs on the road, but in real terms are 12 times less "dangerous" than British HGVs.

Edited by Sook on Monday 22 September 12:46

[jimmy306]

Sook said:

jimmy306 said:

Sook said:

8 times more dangerous? As far as I can work out British HGVs cause 92% of the accidents making them 12 times more likely to be involved in an serious accident than a foreign HGV.

This doesn't excuse their poor driving.

Its reltive, there are far more british HGV's on the roads, and therefore will be involved in more accidents overall.

Exactly. It's badly worded. They account for 8 times more accidents than they do HGVs on the road, but in real terms 12 times less "dangerous" than British HGVs.

I might be missing something here, but while british HGV's cause more accidents overall, what the article is saying is that if you look at one foreign HGV, and one british one, the foreign one will be 8 times more likely to be involved in an incident, therefore making it 8 times more dangerous.

[timewatch]

Quote' "were involved in 163 accidents in which someone either died or suffered serious injuries in on year."


Yes, and added to our road death tally statistics too no doubt, and then we take the flack with more road regulation, scameras, tax etc?

Get these trucks up to standard or don't let them in, although I've got to say that I have seen some crappy UK trucks on the roads too.

TW>>>

[Porscheman]

"It is quite clear that foreign lorries operating on UK roads are most certainly not maintained to the sort of safety level which has been created by the UK operator licensing regime"

If that's the case why do we even let them into the country? This is the equal to letting all cars over three years old drive around without an MOT. We all know what happens if you get caught without a valid MOT certificate.

[dublet]

jimmy306 said:

I might be missing something here, but while british HGV's cause more accidents overall, what the article is saying is that if you look at one foreign HGV, and one british one, the foreign one will be 8 times more likely to be involved in an incident, therefore making it 8 times more dangerous.

To put it in more real terms. You would have to have twelve accidents with a lorry and only one of those will involve a foreign one. I.e. if you have an accident with a lorry, chances are it'll be with a British one! The real message here is be cautious of lorries.

(Unless you're unlucky enough to be hit by 12 lorries, in which case, it might be your driving. )

Lies, damn lies and statistics.

[silly chap]

White-Noise said:

Are we really surprised at all?

Arent the foreign lorries also heavier than our ones, hence all the ruts in the roads?

oh my god!!!