New initiative more than halves truck side-swiping

[26 years an Lgv Trainer]

Department for Transport (National)

New initiative more than halves truck side-swiping

'Fresnel lenses' now being rolled out across the country

An innovative trial to tackle 'side-swiping' incidents involving left-hand drive trucks has shown a 59% reduction in accidents and work is now underway to roll it out across the country, Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick announced today.

The results follow the distribution of 40,000 window-mounted lenses - known as Fresnel lenses - to left-hand drive trucks entering the UK across the Dover Straits. The Highways Agency will now distribute a further 90,000 lenses, targeting major ports in both England and France.

Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick said:
"Side-swiping is an issue we are determined to tackle. It's important that all truckers whether from Britain or overseas are able use our roads safely. However, many drivers here don't realise that left-hand drive lorries can't easily see a car overtaking them on the right, such as on a motorway. This has resulted in more than 400 side-swipe incidents in 2006 alone. As well as being dangerous these incidents cause delays and congestion.

"The Highways Agency and VOSA have been working closely together to identify new and innovative solutions to prevent side-swipes and we are delighted this trial has proved such a success. Not only does research show that incidents in the south-east have more than halved, but we've see evidence of truckers coming into overseas ports with their Fresnel lenses still attached and ready to be re-used.

"The two agencies are now rolling out the distribution of Fresnel lens to ports across the country to ensure that we continue to drive down side-swiping incidents."

All trucks have a blind spot alongside the cab on their passenger side, which can cause cars alongside to disappear from the driver's view. This is a particular problem for left-hand drive trucks operating in the UK, when they change lanes to overtake. Fresnel lenses offer drivers of left-hand drive vehicles a wider field of vision through the passenger window.
The trial was conducted by the Highways Agency, the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) and the Immigration Service. In total, 40,000 stick-on Fresnel lenses were distributed free of charge at three French ports to drivers of left-hand drive lorries coming to the UK. The new wave of 90,000 lenses will be distributed at Liverpool, the Hull ports, Newcastle, Heysham and Harwich and in France at Calais, Coquelles and Dunkerque.

This work sits alongside a wider Government package to improve the safety of overseas vehicles using our roads. An extra £2m of funding was recently announced, dedicated to VOSA's enforcement operations, and last summer the Department for Transport announced plans for new measures which mean that overseas hauliers who flout the rules of the road face on the spot penalties and having their vehicles immobilised.

VOSA is also delivering a five-fold increase in the number of vehicles checked at the main ports of entry and using increasingly modern technology, such as weigh-in-motion sensors to detect overweight vehicles and automatic number plate recognition technology to spot those who have a poor safety record.

Meanwhile, new European legislation which requires the fitting of improved mirrors to all new goods vehicles above 3.5 tonnes is providing a further substantial contribution to optimal driver vision. Existing goods vehicles, first registered from January 2000, will be retro-fitted with wide-angle and close proximity mirrors on the passenger side by March 2009.

Notes to Editors
1. Fresnel lenses are small sheets of flexible plastic - about 21cm x 30cm x 1mm thick - with a moulded optical lens that self-adhere to flat glass.

2. The lenses, which were funded by the Highways Agency, are supplied in an envelope printed with instructions in five languages.

3. The trial showed a reduction in side-swipe incidents in the south-east from roughly 26 incidents per week to 11 per week- an overall reduction of 59%.

4. A side-swipe incident is when a truck changes lane and strikes a vehicle travelling alongside.

Public Enquiries: 020 7944 8300
Department for Transport Website: http://www.dft.gov.uk

[Mike_]

Also see this cyclist safety campaign.

[jimti]

to reduce the accidents that still happen we could try educating the british car driver, then maybe they would stop sitting in truck blind spots.. I have never knowingly seen this sort of accident happen on the continent involving RHD trucks, I would like to believe it is because we are great drivers, but being a realist I think it is because of the way continental drivers behave around trucks.

the blind spot 'Fresnel lenses' are great, I have one my self, but it would be better if the risk was never there in the first place

[geebee45]

Can hold my hand up to being involved in two incidents abroad, both in the mid 90's. Neither involved anything more than swapping insurance details (fortunately). The first was on the way to Berlin when a car ignored the 'give way' markers on an autobahn entry slip, I looked in the nearside mirrors and couldn't see anything and moved left to avoid hitting the Audi. The Dutch registered Merc had his nearside mirror surgically removed. We swapped details on the hard shoulder, where he said he'd seen the Audi 'push' onto the autobahn and 'knew what was going to happen.' The second incident was, ironically on the way back to the UK from Berlin on the same journey. Coming through the motorway crossover at Venlo I creased the front wing and passenger door on an Escort. I never saw the car in my mirrors as I moved right to left on the intersection and again, fortunately, no-body was hurt. Makes me very wary of LHD vehicles over here, especially when on the bike.
Have a simple message when coming upto a LHD vehicle, if I cannot get past it immediately then stop behind it, wish the usual car drivers could do the same.
Have a safe journey

[Hombre]

to reduce the accidents that still happen we could try educating the british car driver, then maybe they would stop sitting in truck blind spots.. I have never knowingly seen this sort of accident happen on the continent involving RHD trucks, I would like to believe it is because we are great drivers, but being a realist I think it is because of the way continental drivers behave around trucks.

No they bloody dont!! Certainly not in my experience, and the further south you go it gets worse.

I live in Spain and am quite used to the way they drive here, but they have absolutely no respect for trucks and nor do they seem to have any perception whatsoever of the possible outcome of their actions.

To prove my point drive through any Spanish or Italian for that matter when its fairly busy - they come at you from all directions!!

[N2N Transport]

Jimti,

where in Canterbury r u from?

The lenses do work, but I have to agree that if car drivers had a greater knowledge of blindspots etc. accidents would be reduced. I would like to see it as part of the car practical exam and also demo facilities at services to give drivers our view. Maybe the 60 mile an hour middle laners won't be so happy to sit alongside the trailer.

[jimti]

to reduce the accidents that still happen we could try educating the british car driver, then maybe they would stop sitting in truck blind spots.. I have never knowingly seen this sort of accident happen on the continent involving RHD trucks, I would like to believe it is because we are great drivers, but being a realist I think it is because of the way continental drivers behave around trucks.

No they bloody dont!! Certainly not in my experience, and the further south you go it gets worse.

I live in Spain and am quite used to the way they drive here, but they have absolutely no respect for trucks and nor do they seem to have any perception whatsoever of the possible outcome of their actions.

To prove my point drive through any Spanish or Italian for that matter when its fairly busy - they come at you from all directions!!

I drive extensively in Italy and spain mainly City center work as well, when I said

the way continental drivers behave around trucks

I wasn't trying to imply they drive well, just that they don't sit in our blind spot, mostly they are in too much of a hurry to get passed us

Jimti,

where in Canterbury r u from?

I live in Wincheap, but work out of Dartford

[Juddian]

Thats marvellous.

Bout time those foriegn truck operators were made to take some responsibility for their road actions.

How much are they charging the foreign truck owners/drivers for each of these lenses?

I don't agree with the notion that car drivers are responsible for keeping out of the way of a supposed blind spot; for one thing its patronising in the extreme to suggest that a driver of a truck would not be aware of a supposed blind spot and not take appropriate measures themselves.
Secondly if its become the accepted practice for car drivers to take responsibility for the actions of a truck driver, then we have reached a new low in the standards of truck driving.

''Oh you twit your fault for not realising i was going to change lanes at that moment, couldn't you see my blind spot mirror was in the high position for my annual shave''

[jimti]

The lenses are free

[Juddian]

[quote="jimti"]The lenses are free[/quote

What, you mean they fell from the famous money tree?

Or did good old UK taxpayer trump up the money again to subsidise the hauliers who undercut our own.

Thanks for cheering me up on a wet Friday night Jimti.

[Rikki-UK]

Or did good old UK taxpayer trump up the money again to subsidise the hauliers who undercut our own

Or we could spend our tax pounds on research, paying "experts to give their opininion,, perhaps even a parliamentry commitee or two...


Just for once the government has spent a few quid on some thing that is actually useful. Remember these are not Johnny Forieners cars that are getting sideswiped, but UK citizens...

I am the first to knock when they decide to spend a few million on setting up a committe to see if one legged black lesbian whales should have a grant to become lorry drivers, but in this case I do believe they have genuinely identified a problem and adressed it in a correct manner. tax money for once well spent in my opinion.

and as someone who drove a right hand drive truck throughout Europe, and narrowly missed on many occasssions that car sitting down the passenger side, and who has been in the the cab with a Fresnal fitted , I can only say that they do make a hell of a difference. almost totally elimintaing the blind spot.

[Juddian]

Or did good old UK taxpayer trump up the money again to subsidise the hauliers who undercut our own

Or we could spend our tax pounds on research, paying "experts to give their opininion,, perhaps even a parliamentry commitee or two...


Just for once the government has spent a few quid on some thing that is actually useful.

I am the first to knock when they decide to spend a few million on setting up a committe to see if one legged black lesbian whales should have a grant to become lorry drivers, but in this case I do believe they have genuinely identified a problem and adressed it in a correct manner. tax money for once well spent in my opinion.

and as someone who drove a right hand drive truck throughout Europe, and narrowly missed on many occasssions that car sitting down the passenger side, and who has been in the the cab with a Fresnal fitted , I can only say that they do make a hell of a difference. almost totally elimintaing the blind spot.

And i'm not going to argue with you Rikki.

But hows about the people causing the problem taking some resposibility for their own....just for once...before good old nanny state can't wait to throw OUR money at a magic cure.

Do the foreign vehicles have a charity registration address on their vehicles i could send some of the wages i have left after deductions to.

Yes, probably sounds like i'm nit picking over a few quids worth of plastic, but if the cure is so magical and cheap, let the foreign drivers buy them.

Heaven forbid, but there could be a case of ''you don't come into the country without one, thats £8.50 please''

Does any authority actually keep records of the accidents involving foreign trucks?

[snafu]

I agree with Rikki.

These things do work

How much does a sideswipe cost us.

Thousands to clear up.

2 hours sat in a queue.

Someones life.

I would be happy if all left hookers had to have one fitted as a condition of entering the UK. If they don't then you can but them at Dover (and other leading retailers around the country ):idea:

Same for right hookers crossing the water IMHO.

[Rikki-UK]

Oh go on argue, thats what makes this website what it is

To your point:
there is a a problem with left hand drive trucks, wether we like it or not the free economic community is here and thatr means foriegn left hand drive trucks on our roads.

Now we can either bitch and moan, and get hurt when those trucks dont see us and move lane, colliding with our car , or we can take reasonable action.

Just for once , instaed of wasting millions of pounds on useless think tanks a few quid has been spent on a real benefit.... accidents on the M25 have been halved http://www.roadtransport.com/Articles/2 ... enses.html


We all moan about the government doing nothing, but just for once I think they done something right

[jimti]

Ask any traffic policeman who works the M20 corridor what they think about these free lenses, or for that matter any body who have had family members killed by side swipe incidents and I will bet to a man they will say we should have been giving them away since we first allowed LHD lorries onto our roads,

In fairness to our highways agency, when they thought of a cure, they implemented it.
I don't know, but maybe one day after spending millions of tax payers money getting the legislation to make it a compulsory fitment, they could have these drivers pay £8.50 for them, but that could take years and in the mean time people will still be getting killed. Is that what you want?
We could only make these foreign drivers pay for them if we were made to have them fitted as well, if you send me £8.50 + £1,50 p&p I will send you one, then we can start the ball rolling.

The lenses are also given to British drivers in LHD trucks and those in RHD trucks going onto the continent, I got one free, but if they were charging for them I don't think I would have bothered.

[N2N Transport]

Jimti,

I am near Hersden, just checking that you weren't the famous Jimmy Buggee(sic) a proper long haul trucker of the old school. Guy the Gorilla to some!

Rikki, I am with you totally they work and one side swipe accident avoided gets the money spent issuing them out back ten fold.

Truckers have become a dirty word and no amount of belly aching will sort it we need to emphasise to the public what our issues are and hopefully be supported by the agencies (i.e. VOSA/DOT) to re-establish the professional image the industry had in earlier years.

Juddian- it works yes, we don't get the same when we hit the otherside but one life saved through a very cheap campaign is well worth it.

[hitch]

got mine for free coming into Coquelle
driving Merc on locals but odd trip to F59 and F62

useful at home as well

[Juddian]

Hang on lads, don't shoot the messenger.

I never said that it wasn't a good idea, do you think i haven't been round long enough to see whats happening on the roads.

Can you not see the irony of this, either the foreign drivers/operators are up to the job or their not, in both cases they should be taking their own steps at their own expense. Whats next, do we have some free training schools near the docks to teach em, or should we move over to driving on the right, not that it would necessarily would improve some of their techniques.

Don't seem to remember these accidents when the old school foreign drivers were the only one's coming over though.


Am i the only one here that thinks any driver or operator should take any responsibility for the suitability of their vehicle to operate safely in the markets they have chosen to be in, must remember that one when something goes wrong for me.

Don't worry i won't keep on.

[Coffeeholic]

The lenses are free to all hauliers, not just the foreign ones. I think I read the lenses cost £3.00 each and about 70,000 have been distributed so far. £210,000 for a 59% reduction in accidents seems like a worthwhile spend of tax payers money to me. £210,000 is less than the cost of a few accidents so it really is a no brainer.

A bit of education of car drivers would reduce it even further in my opinion. How many time have you been driving along lane 1 and as you are coming up on another vehicle you make preparations to overtake. Glancing in the mirror you see a car in lane two and think to yourself - "I'll just let this one past then pull out". There is nothing else in lane 2 for a decent distance either ahead of or behind the car you are waiting to pass you. The car comes along side your trailer and is passing you at a decent speed, by the time you move over to lane 2 they will be a safe distance ahead of you, and what happens? They get level with your cab and for some strange reason they sit there for a moment or two. Nothing is happening ahead of them but they have stopped making progress. Now we can see them by looking out of the door window but they are bang in the blind spot for a LHD and even if you have your indicator on at this point it doesn't seem to register with them. I have this happen at least once, and usually more than once, on any days driving on UK motorways but over the water it doesn't seem to happen. Over there the car gains on you and they continue past you without this pause which UK car driver seem to employ. The fresnel lenses are now giving the LHD trucks a chance to spot these hesitater's but if the car drivers stopped this practice the reduction would be greater than 59%.

[jimti]

Can you not see the irony of this, either the foreign drivers/operators are up to the job or their not, in both cases they should be taking their own steps at their own expense. Whats next, do we have some free training schools near the docks to teach em, or should we move over to driving on the right, not that it would necessarily would improve some of their techniques.

To be fair to these drivers/companys, until we provided these lenses nobody knew what the results would be, they may have made no difference. What you say here is like asking all trucks in the UK to fit every possible mirror at the drivers expense, look at the latest trucks and they have 2 more mirrors than any trucks made 10 years ago, (one looking down the front of the truck, and one looking to the blind (not kerb) spot)

Don't seem to remember these accidents when the old school foreign drivers were the only one's coming over though.

There were far fewer trucks in the past, but trust me it still happened.
most of the old school drivers would be runing bent all the time they weren't in their own country, as many of the Brits abroad did.

Am i the only one here that thinks any driver or operator should take any responsibility for the suitability of their vehicle to operate safely in the markets they have chosen to be in, must remember that one when something goes wrong for me.

All the trucks comming to the UK are of the required standard for international operations, the only problem is the stearing wheel is on the wrong side, until they come up with a truck where you can swap it over, this will always cause problems, as our RHD ones do in Europe

[Hombre]

Or did good old UK taxpayer trump up the money again to subsidise the hauliers who undercut our own

Or we could spend our tax pounds on research, paying "experts to give their opininion,, perhaps even a parliamentry commitee or two...


Just for once the government has spent a few quid on some thing that is actually useful.

I am the first to knock when they decide to spend a few million on setting up a committe to see if one legged black lesbian whales should have a grant to become lorry drivers, but in this case I do believe they have genuinely identified a problem and adressed it in a correct manner. tax money for once well spent in my opinion.

and as someone who drove a right hand drive truck throughout Europe, and narrowly missed on many occasssions that car sitting down the passenger side, and who has been in the the cab with a Fresnal fitted , I can only say that they do make a hell of a difference. almost totally elimintaing the blind spot.

Do the foreign vehicles have a charity registration address on their vehicles i could send some of the wages i have left after deductions to.

Yes, probably sounds like i'm nit picking over a few quids worth of plastic, but if the cure is so magical and cheap, let the foreign drivers buy them.

Heaven forbid, but there could be a case of ''you don't come into the country without one, thats £8.50 please''

I had one of these FREE on my last truck - it was handed to me as I got off the boat in Dover - and I have to say theyre very good.

Now personally I would buy one, if I could actually find one. The cost to me would not be a problem as Spanish drivers are paid very well, probably better than UK drivers, but east european drivers arent. In fact they earn very little so to expect them to pay is nonsense.

It might seem like your (my ex) government is giving us freebies, but in real terms the cost to the UK taxpayer is negligible and the savings considerable.

And just as an aside side swiping is accidental - no "foreign" driver needs the hassle of accidents, the police, insurance forms, delays etc.. etc..

[P90DLS]

I think there is a show on monday night ITV about this

[Coffeeholic]

I think there is a show on monday night ITV about this

Killer Lorries: Monday 31st March on ITV 1 from 8:00pm to 8:30pm

Quentin Willson investigates statistics that show more than 1,300 people were involved in collisions with lorries driven by foreign motorists in Britain in 2006. The reporter reveals how UK safety laws are being broken and looks into how the problems can be solved.

[kickstart]

The members of the "Centre Lane Owners Club" who come up behind you like a rocket and then either sit on your off side rear corner or alongside you, to stop you pulling out to overtake the vehicle which you are rapidly gaining on in your lane, are one of my pet hates . They rank almost up level with the idiots who don't know that they have their high intensity rear fog lights on in clear visibility. I think that with the technology available today that manufacturers ought to have a system installed which switches these rear fog lights off when the vehicle speed goes over 40 mph. If you can see to go over 40 mph then you don't need rear fog lights on!
Rant over for now.
To get back to the original thread about fresnel lamps, I seem to remember reading somewhere that when these fresnel lenses were first introduced and positioned in the rear window of busesand coaches (to aid with checking proximity of vehicles behind when parking) that on sunny days the lens concentrates the suns rays, like as through a magnifying glass, and was thought to be the cause of setting fire to the rearmost seat backs. You don't see many of them fitted to PSVs these days. Just something to be aware of given the closeness of curtains etc to these lenses when installed in sleeper cabs.

[speedyguy]

Good idea in general but change the scenario, you go france no passport (or non eu country nowadays) you get turned round straight back,

No fresnel lens bought/fitted on entry to uk, truck held at port or returned on next ferry at owners cost,, i'd open a little store cos you could guarantee they'd queue up to buy them then.

As a british taxpayer i'd rather see mandatory fresnel on entry and a fiver off the cost of a passport.
Times are hard stop throwing good taxpayers cash away and stop the problem at source.

[jimti]

Good idea in general but change the scenario, you go france no passport (or non eu country nowadays) you get turned round straight back,

No fresnel lens bought/fitted on entry to uk, truck held at port or returned on next ferry at owners cost,, i'd open a little store cos you could guarantee they'd queue up to buy them then.

As a british taxpayer i'd rather see mandatory fresnel on entry and a fiver off the cost of a passport.
Times are hard stop throwing good taxpayers cash away and stop the problem at source.

I can guarantee the cost of bringing in such a law would far outweigh the cost of giving the lenses away. On top of that if it was introduced it would have to be applied to all vehicles, UK or not, left and right hand drive, they can't even make a retrospective law to add more mirrors to older trucks even though they have to be fitted to new trucks.

[MADBAZ]

With the cost of a fatal accident reported to cost around a million quid, from the first 999 call; police, ambulance, fire brigade attendance; hospital treatment; the cleanup; lost time to those caught in the tailback; evidence gathering/investigation; funeral & time off work for relatives; coroners' inquest; court appearences; probable prosecution; insurance settlements etc etc....

Based on that, giving away a total of 330.000 would cost the same as 1 fatal accident and that is money well bloody spent for once, and there's the bonus that many relatives won't have to grieve for loved ones, for which no value can be placed upon.

[newmercman]

I had a few LHD lorries, mainly F12s, 3 & 4 series which are fitted with a pretty good mirror arrangement, I also had a fresnel lense on the window in the 4 series & it does give an increased view BUT cars are not always in the blind spot, if you are looking in your mirrors enough then you will see the car before it enters the blind spot, you then simply wait until you can see it again & then make your move, that isn't rocket science, is it