Lorry Drivers Plead for Wider Berth

Throughout last week’s National Road Safety Week campaign, drivers were receiving comprehensive HGV training in West Lothian, London, and all across the UK. One of the skills they were learning is that of making wide turns correctly. Meanwhile, already licensed lorry drivers took the occasion to plead for a wider berth when making turns.

Through a poll conducted by a hiring firm in Staffordshire, lorry drivers made it clear that they need the cooperation of car and motorbike drivers in order to keep everyone safe while making turns. Drivers want others on the road to be aware of what it takes to make a turn in an articulated lorry or another type of HGV. They also want other drivers to back off and give them more space.

It is important for car and motorbike drivers to understand that large, heavy vehicles cannot make tight turns. In order to clear curbs and buildings, they can only turn widely at junctions and roundabouts. Setting up for turn leaves a lot of wide-open space on the side of the vehicle – space that is sometimes inviting to car and motorbike drivers.

To illustrate the point, imagine a lorry approaching a junction with the intent of turning left. If the space is limited enough, the driver may actually steer the lorry into the right lane while setting up for the turn. A car driver not paying attention to turning signals may drive right into the path of the HGV as it rounds the corner.

Lorry drivers are urging caution among car and motorbike drivers as they approach lorries at junctions and roundabouts. The same could be applied to cyclists. Everyone needs to pay attention to the speed of a lorry and potential turn signals in order to discern whether the vehicle is turning or not. If car and motorbike drivers are willing to slow down and pay close attention to what’s going on, many of the accidents occurring at junctions can be avoided.

Safety Is Always First

At the HGV Training Centre, we are proud to participate in the annual National Road Safety Week campaign. We pride ourselves in our commitment to training drivers to operate their vehicles safely. We believe safety is always the first priority of every professional driver. To that end, we spend a lot of our training time dealing with road safety issues.

Whether our students are receiving HGV training in West Lothian or at any one of our other 45 facilities, we want them to be able to operate their vehicles correctly from the first day they take to the roads. Anything less is unacceptable. We hope other training companies have the same high standards.

If you are interested in receiving HGV training, we urge you to contact us at your earliest convenience. We offer training for many different vehicles and licence classes. Moreover, as one of the leading providers of driver training in the UK, we have a reputation for high quality training and student success.