Government accused of misleading public on road safety threat of longer lorries
Campaign groups are warning that Government plans to allow longer lorries on UK roads could lead to more road deaths and put small hauliers out of business. Campaign for Better Transport and Freight on Rail - backed by Campaign to Protect Rural England, CTC - the national cyclists' organisation, Friends of the Earth, Living Streets, RoadPeace and Sustrans - warn that contrary to Government claims, plans to increase lorry lengths could lead to six extra road deaths a year, result in more road congestion and lose small and medium sized hauliers up to £1.8 billion over 5 years. Review of Government proposals for longer semi trailers, an independent report commissioned by Freight on Rail, is being released on the day (Tuesday 21 June) the Government consultation closes on proposals to extend maximum lorry lengths by 2.05m and allow lorries up to 18.55m on UK roads. The report demonstrates that significant flaws in the Government's own research have led it to seriously underestimate the dangers posed by longer lorries. Government estimates are based on the assumption that longer lorries will result in fewer road trips, but previous increases in length and/or weight have simply resulted in the same amount of lorries on the roads but with lower loads2. HGVs are already almost four times (384%) more likely to be involved in fatal crashes on local roads than cars3. The Government research however, concluded that longer lorries would lead to a zero increase in fatalities by ruling out any impact of longer lorries from most collisions and ignoring the effect of the increased tail swing and larger driver blind spots when turning4. The independent report discovered a more accurate figure might be six extra deaths per year and between 4 and 8 per cent more collisions. Campaign for Better Transport's chief executive, Stephen Joseph, said: "The Government's research is misleading and inaccurate. All the evidence points to longer lorries being more dangerous, having a negative impact on road congestion and the environment while providing very little economic benefits - in fact they could be the final nail in the coffin for smaller hauliers. The Government needs to re-examine its own figures as a matter of urgency." Campaigners also point out that the Government is ignoring its own statistics which show that the new lorries will become the default length for the industry, and not a few large niche providers as claimed. By playing down the negative impact of the new lorries on rail freight, the Government has also ignored the impact of increased congestion which will result from more lorries on the roads. Philippa Edmunds, Freight on Rail manager, said: "Longer lorries will undermine low carbon energy-efficient rail traffic, particularly the emerging supermarket trade which has the highest potential growth. The Government's own figures state that the 2m increase would reduce consumer rail freight growth by two thirds by 2025 and is likely to result in a downward spiral for rail freight." If the Government allows the increase, campaigners argue it could be the thin end of the wedge with 'megatrucks' from Europe - huge HGVs up to 25.5m long and weighing 60 tonnes - around the corner. These lorries would be too big for the UK's traditional towns and villages and would result in more collisions, more congestion, damage to verges, hedges and buildings and increased road maintenance costs for hard pressed local councils.