Hazards of HGV Driving Include Road Rage

Last August (2014), an HGV was travelling down the M5 in the West Midlands when a blue Citroen pulled in front and its driver, apparently upset by something, slammed on his brakes. The HGV driver managed to avoid a collision with the Citroen by mere inches. According to local police, the results of a collision between the two vehicles would have been nothing short of total carnage. Unfortunately, such incidents are among the hazards of HGV driving.

A video of the incident is now making the rounds across the Internet. It was recently published by the Birmingham Mail, alongside an article explaining the incident. The Birmingham Mail reports that the driver was tracked down by police and penalised for his dangerous actions. He admitted to dangerous driving – even with his wife sitting beside him in the passenger seat. The driver was banned from operating a vehicle for 12 months, sentenced to 100 hours of community service, and ordered to pay court costs of £145.

Last summer’s incident offers a couple of important takeaways for HGV drivers and their employers. First and foremost is the reality that road rage is a hazard that professional drivers must now account for. Our modern and fast-paced world seems to have less patience every day, leading to more road rage incidents among frustrated drivers who cannot bear the thought of even the slightest impediment to their journeys.

The second take away is one of understanding how valuable dash mounted cameras can be to haulage and transport companies. The camera in this case provided the video police used to track down the offending driver. In other cases, the existence of video footage has prevented drivers from making claims against haulage and transport companies, knowing that existing video evidence would not support such claims. Any haulage or transport company would do well to invest in dash-mounted cameras.

Defensive Driving a Must

As the Governments works to find solutions that will reduce the number of road rage incidents taking place every year, HGV drivers can do their part by practising defensive driving at all times. A defensive driving strategy reduces the likelihood that the professional driver will do something that could provoke road rage among others. Drivers also need to be cognisant to avoid road rage themselves.

One of the best weapons against road rage is proper training. We provide that training at the HGV Training Centre. We are an industry leader throughout the UK, operating more than 45 facilities at which we train drivers for all classes of commercial licences. We even provide classes for forklift operators and non-professionals who routinely operate caravans, horseboxes, and light trailers.

It is true that HGV driving can be hazardous at times. Nevertheless, with the right training and a good attitude, drivers can complete their entire careers without ever experiencing a serious incident. We want to help by providing the training you need to ensure a safe career. Contact us for more information about our training.

Sources:

1. Birmingham Mail – https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/watch-m5-road-rage-driver-8374182