A new campaign by National Highways aims to raise awareness of how drivers can stay safe around heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).
It follows a recent survey that highlighted how more than a third (36 percent) of motorists did not realise how many blind-spots HGVs have.
The same proportion (36 percent) of those surveyed also said they often felt nervous when overtaking an HGV.
How to stay safe when overtaking HGVs
National Highways has worked with haulage industry representatives to create the new safety campaign, designed to keep car and van drivers safe around HGVs.
It includes the key messages to:
- Stay visible – HGVs have four large blind-spots at the front, rear and sides. Drivers should not linger in these zones to avoid putting themselves at risk.
- Overtake HGVs with care, and ensure they have enough space to pass a longer vehicle safely.
- Do not tailgate HGVs, as the driver won’t be able to see you in their mirrors. Dropping back will also give a better view of the road ahead.
Head of road safety at National Highways, Jeremy Phillips, said: “Our advice to motorists overtaking a HGV is simple; avoid tailgating the HGV when considering an overtaking manoeuvre and as the Highway Code states, do so quickly and safely to avoid staying in an area of limited visibility.”
Give HGVs space
Along with backing from major haulage companies, the National Highways campaign has been endorsed by Shannan Paterson. Having risen to fame as the star of the BBC’s Queen of Trucks documentary, the 28-year-old driver is keen to raise awareness of road safety issues.
Paterson said: “Driving a lorry is very different to driving a car. You can’t see anything behind you other than the trailer. Your only vision is in front of you and in the side mirrors. You don’t know if someone is immediately behind you, and they can’t see what is ahead of your HGV, or if you are going to have to brake sharply for any reason.
“If someone pulls in front of a HGV without leaving enough room, the lorry driver might not be able to see them at all in the blind-spot below the cab, and therefore won’t be able to judge their stopping distance properly.”
She added: “I fully support National Highways’ campaign and would encourage drivers to give HGVs space. You have to go through a lot of training to legally drive a lorry, but even professional drivers can’t know that someone is in one of their blind-spots.”
The National Highways campaign will be featured on TV, radio, social media, and posters across the country.
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