News

The Highways Agency (HA) and VOSA are continuing their efforts to reduce the number of side-swipe incidents involving left-hand drive (LHD) trucks on UK roads, by issuing Fresnel lenses. 

Following a successful pilot in 2006/07 involving the distribution of 40,000 Fresnel lenses to foreign drivers as they entered the UK via ports in the South-East, a further 90,000 lenses have been distributed nationally via the ports of Liverpool, Hull, Harwich and Heysham, as well as three French  ports – Dunkerque, Calais and Coquelles.

A VOSA spokesman tells MT: "Given the lack of an immediate change in the legislation, the HA will continue to purchase lenses and issue them to LHD HGVs. A batch of 60,000 has been purchased recently for issue over the autumn months."

VOSA and the HA are keen that they issue the lenses so that they are actually fitted there and then, or shortly after, and not just left in the cab or discarded.

"Our current programme is lower intensity, but more targeted, and we have Traffic Officers and police forces signed up in many areas (East, South-East and Midlands), along with VOSA officials, handing 20,000 lenses out to vehicles as they encounter them on the [road] network," says the spokesman.

In July, 1,000 lenses were provided by HA direct to Norbert Dentressangle in the UK, and the HA is keen to get other operators of foreign HGVs to take a similar  lead.

Jack Semple, director of policy at the Road Haulage Association (RHA), says: "With the relaxation of cabotage rules commencing next year, there will be more foreign vehicles working for longer periods in the UK, so it is imperative that VOSA continues its efforts."

He adds that the RHA would like to see this education of foreign drivers continue from VOSA on other areas as well, such as the overloading of vehicles.

"We need to explain to foreign hauliers that the overloading on their drive axles is not acceptable and make sure there are enforcement efforts in place," says Semple. "It is currently something we are talking to VOSA and the DfT about and making progress on."