Road casualty statistics published today (September 25) revealed the number of fatal accidents per billion lorry miles fell was 43% lower than a decade ago.
There were 240 fatal accidents involving HGVs in 2014 – almost half the number of deaths in 2005, according to the annual Reported Road Casualties data.
Warned operators
The Freight Transport Association (FTA) welcomed the reduction but warned operators and drivers must remain vigilant about minimising harm on UK roads.
The association’s head of national and regional policy and public affairs Christopher Snelling said: “The logistics industry is committed to improving its performance on road safety through new innovations in vehicle design and better driver education.”
While the current year has proved challenging for road safety, the statistics illustrate the industry’s approach was making progress, he said. “We want to keep going as an industry to play our part in making road transport as safe as it can be. Improved HGV vehicle designs and safety features, as well as improved driver training and management, will be part of this.”
‘More targeted enforcement’
A key factor in improving road safety was targeted enforcement. “The FTA calls for more targeted enforcement of existing HGV driver and vehicle regulation against seriously non-compliant operators who undermine the efforts of the vast majority; continued spending on improving and maintaining road infrastructure; and for all users of our roads to learn as much as they can about how to share the roads safely.”
The FTA represents the freight and logistics industry and covers the transport interests of companies moving goods by road, rail, sea and air.
Its members operated more than 220,000 goods vehicles – half the UK fleet, covering 90% of the freight moved by rail and 70% by sea and air freight.