A new analysis by SNAP, the haulage industry’s leading smart payment provider, reveals the South East as home to more HGV road casualties on average each year, than anywhere else in the UK.
Evaluating ten years of data from the Office for National Statistics, SNAP has discovered a yearly average of 198 HGV road casualties within the region, more than the North East, Wales, and London combined. The South East’s Kent also tops the county-wide ranking, with an average of 51 per year.
Looking into the cause of these accidents, over 40% of collisions involving an HGV across the UK come down to driver error or reaction time. One in four truck drivers involved were found to have failed to look properly, while one in seven were unable to properly judge the other driver’s path or speed – factors which could have been combatted with appropriate measures in place to enhance the safety and wellbeing of drivers.
Mark Garner, Managing Director at SNAP comments, “Fleet managers have the challenge of accommodating the rise in demand for haulage whilst also ensuring the safety of their drivers which should always be the number one priority.
“Ensuring that truck drivers are able to take regular breaks from driving so that they can avoid tiredness and fatigue at the wheel is paramount. This is why SNAP has released the Intruck app, designed to support fleet managers, featuring over 5,000 truck stops across the UK and rest of Europe, so drivers can plan their breaks in advance and keep their concentration on the road ahead.”
Kent County Council is currently proposing a target for zero road fatalities across the Kent Highway Network by 2050, citing zero deaths as the only appropriate target. Progress to the county’s road network is already starting to be seen, with the number of occupant casualties having halved since 2012.
Similarly, collision rates are improving UK-wide, having decreased by 47% in the same time period, including 23% less fatal crashes. While this suggests that developments to roads and vehicle technology have helped reduce the number of accidents, incorporating measures that target driver welfare could mean that key contributory factors of the collisions are being addressed, prioritising the safety of haulage professionals moving forward.
For more information about SNAP’s vast network of truck stops, and to find your nearest location, please visit: www.snapacc.com/locations.