Truck drivers in Staffordshire have launched an appeal to motorists asking them to give commercial vehicles a wide berth on the road. Launched during National Road Safety Week, truckers appealed to car drivers to give them plenty of room or risk serious injury – particularly with the arrival of wintry weather.
In a poll conducted by Midlands haulage recruitment specialist Employ Recruitment UK, which supplies over 150 drivers, 55 per cent said their biggest safety problem on the roads were motorists who didn’t give their trailers enough room at junctions or roundabouts.
Managing director Sadie Alcock said: “Statistics show truck drivers are generally much more careful on the roads than motorists, but in 2010 over 7000 accidents involved an HGV, with 9686 casualties – of which 263 were fatalities. We ensure our drivers undertake key training, but the same cannot be said for motorists.”
