How to Avoid Being Side Swiped!

Dangers of left hand drive trucks

According to research by the Freight Transport Association, one in seven HGVs on the roads in the UK are left hand drive and are responsible for over 1000 incidents of side swiping every year. This is when a lorry pulls out into the middle lane of a motorway but the driver fails to spot a car in its blind spot blocking its path.

Vigilance 

A driver can minimise the risk of being side swiped by being extra vigilant and looking for clues such as foreign number plates or foreign writing on the back or sides of the trailer/unit. Other clues a driver can look for are extra mirrors on the right hand side of the tractor unit paying particular attention to kerb mirrors (These are mirrors that are positioned above the door and point down to the road). On UK registered lorries, these are on the left hand side.

Overtaking 

When overtaking, do so briskly so you are not sitting along side another vehicle for too long. This is regardless of size and whether it is right or left hand drive. If there are a lot of lorries bunched up very close to each other be even more observant as one of the lorry drivers may be getting ready for an overtake. On a three lane carriageway, you could consider if it is safe, moving into the right hand lane.

Rob Sefton