Raising speed limit for HGVs could spell a bloody end for hundreds more Britons

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Home Finance Reviews Under The Hood Motorsport Business Profiles Archive Jobs I am looking for in Get your business listed Related Tags: Car Safety, HGV, Law, Government, Speed, Brake, DFT, Cycling, Fatalities, Crashes Raising speed limit for HGVs could spell a bloody end for hundreds more Britons By: Danny Hewitt Ref:A00022 Published: 5 January 2013 THE newly appointed road safety minister Stephen Hammond has been slammed for bowing down to clever industry lobbying after it emerged HGVs over 7.5 tonnes could be allowed to go faster on single-carriageway roads.He wants to raise the limit for trucks by five to 10mph, up from the current 40mph. dummy banner

Being near an HGV is a terrifying experience for drivers of smaller cars on single carriageways / David Wright.But Mr Hammond has been criticised as his words mirror those of industry groups including the Road Haulage Association and Freight Transport Association. For a minister who is meant to stand up for the rights of road safety, he has ignored what road safety experts have to say. He claims the change would help spur economic growth and boost businesses by more than ?30m a year. He said: "I want to make sure we have carefully considered the evidence of all of the effects on the economy, environment and - of course - road safety before we make a decision. I welcome the views of all." Julie Townsend, Deputy Chief Executive of road safety charity Brake, is horrified that the government is thinking about business before lives. She said: "We are very concerned about these proposals. "There is a clearly evidenced, direct link between traffic speed and the number of devastating crashes and casualties on our roads. "When vehicles travel just a few miles an hour faster, it significantly increases stopping distances, reducing drivers' ability to react in an emergency. Lower speed limits are in place for a good reason: because of their size and weight, these vehicles take longer to stop and if they do crash it's more likely to be on a catastrophic scale." According to the Department for Transport, around 70 per cent of HGVs already travel over 40mph. Ms Townsend added: "Given the rise in deaths and injuries last year on UK roads, the government should focus its efforts on bringing casualties down through evidenced means, such as reinforcing and enforcing vital safety laws like speed limits. "Preventing road crashes and casualties not only prevents appalling pain and suffering, but also benefits the economy by reducing the significant costs to the taxpayer and businesses that result from crashes." Cyclists nationwide are also furious. Martin Gibbs, Policy and Legal Affairs Director at British Cycling, said: "On a single carriageway, it can be difficult for an HGV to pull round someone on a bike, particularly if there is oncoming traffic. Vehicle speed is the most significant determinant of road danger for cyclists and these speed limits were established for good safety reasons." If the plans for the speed increase go ahead next year, Mr Hammond will be taking a massive punt on peoples' lives. Comments Sign in or Register to leave a comment Related Articles // More Like This dummy

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