Foreign trucks warning

The Freight Transport Association has issued a warning about blind spots on left hand drive HGVs

Auto Express Car Reviews

05th September 2007

Motorways can be stressful for the most experienced of drivers. But an increase in the number of foreign trucks on these roads is making it even more hazardous, according to the Freight Transport Association.

It claims that these left-hand-drive vehicles now account for one in seven HGVs on the road in the UK. And the organisation says that they are responsible for more than 1,000 incidents of side-swiping – when the lorry pulls out into the middle lane but fails to spot a car blocking its path – every year.

The advice for motorists from the RAC Foundation is to be extra vigilant. Its spokeswoman explained: “Check a truck’s number plates before you overtake. If the vehicle is registered abroad or if there is any foreign writing on the back of the unit, pull past as safely and quickly as possible. Do not sit alongside it, as you will be in a large blind spot to the driver.”