guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story … 11,00.html
These findings surprise me.I mean I know lorry drivers to tend to drive too close to one another but that many accidents are caused as a result of this was news to me. 
The authors of the study puncture any complacency there might be among those who use their cars for pleasure or the school run. Most “errors and violations did not appear more markedly different from those of the general driving population; they have merely had more opportunities for committing them”, the report said.
I bet the article has taken infomation out of context from the report. Remember the Guardian is a bit of a left wing paper. Also the report was government funded, no doubt to make the case for camera’s.
There is also no mention of any allowance made for distance driven, or the remit of the report. The answers you get from these reports very much depends on the questions asked.
Quote
‘Lorry drivers were more often to blame for accidents generally than company car drivers, but were less to blame in cases where someone died.’
You’re dead right Muckles, you have to read between the lines.
I don’t find it amazing that, in the quote above, truckers had more blameworthy accidents but these must include every minor scrape and dent involving an insurance claim. Given the appalling situations at restricted premises and poor parking that we are faced with, this is hardly surprising.
What is of great significance is the fact that although statistically a higher proportion of truck involved accidents result in serious injury or death (hardly surprising), yet in these serious cases truck drivers ‘were less to blame’.
This confirms what I already believed -
We are responsible for a lot of bumps and scrapes.
We are much safer in fast moving traffic.
However, no room for complacency, as Daveb pointed out, in my opinion the greatest single contribution we make to getting a bad press is tailgating.
Having said that this is encouraged, but not excused, by speed limiters. I’ve said it before, the enforcement of approximately equal speeds gives rise to much frustration and bad driving, and is therefore not conducive to road safety.
Salut, David.
Point to consider is the Phrase ‘van and pick-up drivers’ and Lorry Drivers. What do they class as a van driver.
I would assume a 7.5 Tonner is classed as a lorry and not a van so these will push up the averages for lorries.
Most Van drivers (and those van drivers who also drive 7.5 tonners) drive like [zb]s.
Just for the record I am currently a van driver and am still stunned by the stupidity of most drivers of good vehicles below 7.5t. eg. A sprinter might well match a saloon car for speed but it doesnt stop as well or corner as well!
Small one.L.
i think the heading should be changed to ‘…BECAUSE of company car drivers’
how many of you have had accidents or near misses because of mr rep reading something while doing 90 in the fast lane and realising he is almost missing his junction so he throws the wheel round and cuts right across causing swerving, braking and general chaos? a lot of our accidents are caused by people who are not actually involved in them and are nowhere to be seen when the finger is pointed at the real culprit
I see your point, but to be fair i’ve seen people do that in Sprinters and even 7.5 tonners too! 
Ive just recently bought a new car, its only an ikkle Smart car with an 800cc engine, so I thought the insurance would be peanuts. But when I started ringing around, I found it to be quite pricey.One company that I rang said that it didnt matter that I was a professional driver, statistically HGV drivers were more at risk due to stress so were more likely to suffer heart attacks behind the wheel…so the premium for my car is reflected in this! 
As for the ‘Women only’ insurance companies…what a con, I have a clean licsence, which Ive had for almost 15 years (full car, bike, & class 1 & ADR) so I thought Id get a really good quote, but they were some of the most expensive!
For some reason, most insurance companies really seem to hate me! 
T.■■
Truckette:
As for the ‘Women only’ insurance companies…what a con, I have a clean licsence, which Ive had for almost 15 years (full car, bike, & class 1 & ADR) so I thought Id get a really good quote, but they were some of the most expensive!
For some reason, most insurance companies really seem to hate me!
T.■■
Agree with you there. When Mrs Snax got the quote for her car this year they had forgotten to put her no claims on, so she rang them to let them know and tell them that i had another 3 points{ named driver} 6 in all, the quote shot up £150 she queiried it, as with no claims on it ought to come down, and they blamed me so i said take me of, as i can cover driving her car 3rd party from mine, it only came down £40, so i looked on the net for her and went serveral of the women only insurers, thay were extortionet, chatting to a driver in latter years of his career the other day, and he said that saga were exactly the same. I know its a bit of topic but its something to watch out for
i cant fault my insurance company. they are cheap but offer plenty of benefits and they are very quick. when i switched from the supra to the galant, i had to tax it before i could drive it but i needed to be legal on one of them. solution, send me a cover note for the galant starting at 12 noon saturday so i could drive the supra in the morning to get tax on the galant. by 12, i have a tax disc, supra is parked up and i am fully legal on the new car.
to sort all this out, i called them at 11am on the friday and i had the cover note by 8am saturday. somehow i managed to get a rebate on my insurance even though i pay it monthly
i have been with them for a few years now. i did shop around when i was considering a GTO but my present company still offered the cheapest quote by £200. i have nothing but praise for them 
statistically HGV drivers were more at risk due to stress so were more likely to suffer heart attacks behind the wheel…
Utter rubbish, PCV/HGV drivers are less likely to have a heart attack due to the fact we have to have a medical every 5 years.
Most insurers decide from when you say hello on the phone whether they want to insure you or not. They’ll then give you a quote to either draw you in or put you off. Also if you’re a new customer they’ll ofter do you a good deal for the first year then it’s not so good after that, so shop around every year.
As for the Smart car, they’re somewhat of a cult car now (like My Mini!) so you would be wise to join an owners club and then get some quotes from the specialist insurers (a club will recomend several). Ok so you might not be a Smart ‘enthusiast’ as such but club membership is normally worth 10% off your policy!
Having an HGV license is just like taking an advanced driving test, so if they’re a decent insurer they’ll give you the same discount.
Truck Drivers against Company Car Drivers.
Hmmm, no contest
How many times do you hear of car drivers jackknifing, or overturning on a roundabout and of car drivers losing their loads?
It amazes me that there are still trucks jackknifing, it amazes me that the LGV test now seems to make it compulsory for trucks to overtake each other on roundabouts and to rely on a thin piece of polythene sheet to restrain 27 tonnes of freight
Let us approach the argument from the side of the insurance, they willhave had researchers going over the road traffic accidents and seeing who was to blame for the accident, well folks it will be us TRUCK DRIVERS, why because we have a higher average yearly mileage/kilometers per year than any one else,So as far as the insurance firms accounts are concerned, we are a HIGH RISK customer
SO gents yes we may personally belive that we can and do drive more safer than any one else, it.s their research that says we are a risk,
There are statistics,damned statistics and LIES! Can’t remember where that quote comes from but it’s true,you can prove just about anything you want to with STATISTICS!