HGV Drivers: Be Aware during Holiday Travel Season

You can receive HGV training in Buckinghamshire, Dorset, or anywhere else throughout the UK, but nothing in your training will prevent other drivers from behaving unwisely on the roads. That’s why it is so important for HGV drivers to be extra cautious and aware during the summer holiday season.

That was the message of a recent article – an article focusing on the real danger of careless car drivers stopping on the hard shoulder of a major roadway. The article said that more than 800 people are injured or killed every year because of accidents caused by pulling off onto the hard shoulder.

Hard shoulders in the UK are only designed for stopping during emergencies. Yet more than one in four car drivers use the shoulder for non-emergency purposes. Unfortunately, when accidents do occur they most often involve HGVs. Equally unfortunate is the fact that the HGV driver is usually the one to take the blame in the eyes of the driving public and the media.

Survey Results

Some 20,000 UK motorists were interviewed to find out why some of them stop on the hard shoulder for non-emergencies. The answers were somewhat startling. According to the surveys answers included:

• illness
• running out of fuel
• napping
• toilet breaks
• picture taking.

With several weeks still to go in the summer holiday travel season, the government is reminding drivers not to stop on the hard shoulder unless there is a real and legitimate emergency. The Highway Code explicitly states, in rule 270, that the hard shoulder is completely off-limits except in a genuine emergency or when told to pull over by a police officer. Violations include fines and points added to your license.

Drivers, Be More Aware

As we stated earlier, all of the best HGV training in the world will not prevent car drivers from being careless. HGV drivers must compensate by being evermore aware and vigilant during the summer holiday season. Make the effort to scan the horizon as you drive, looking for any vehicles that might make an unscheduled stop.

We also encourage you to obey the speed limit at all times regardless of your scheduling. If you do come upon a vehicle stopped on the hard shoulder, excessive speed can make it nearly possible to avoid an accident. A few extra miles per hour are not worth the potential consequences of a road crash.

The HGV Training Centre offers comprehensive HGV training in Buckinghamshire, Dorset, and more than 40 other locations around the country. In as little as eight weeks, we can have you on the road as a professional driver. Trust us when we say there is no shortage of work.

If you are ready to start a career as a professional HGV driver, please get in touch with us right away. We have new classes forming on a regular basis. When you complete your classes, you can take advantage of our up-to-date jobs database as well.