The Department for Transport (DfT) has released statistics accusing the industry of widespread breaches of 40mph and 50mph speed limits, but hauliers have hit back by calling for HGV speed limits to be reviewed.
According to the DfT bulletin, (ITALS) Road Statistics 2008: Traffic, Speeds and Congestion, last year over 85% of lorries exceeded the 50mph speed limit on non-built-up dual carriageways, while 75% went above the 40mph limit on single carriageway rural roads. The statistics, however, state that "very few HGVs" exceeded the 60mph motorway limit. Data for the survey was collected from 96 different sites that were governed by a variety of speed limits.
The Freight Transport Association says it is time the DfT began a trial on raising HGV speed limits - a view that Andy Harrison, transport manager at East Yorkshire-based Nigel Rice Transport, agrees with. "The amount of times we get complaints and lorry drivers get abuse from motorists for going too slow is unreal," he says. "The 50mph limit encourages other road users to make stupid manoeuvres to try to get ahead of an HGV, so it's definitely time to review the limits."
Transport manager and director at Stafford-based Stan Robinson, Steve Cope adds: "We get a low percentage of speeding fines, but if we do get caught, it's mostly by cameras and not police. It's rare for the police to stop a truck if it is overtaking on these 40mph and 50mph speed limits." The Conservative Party has used the DfT's statistics to promote its claims that it would increase the speed limit for lorries on single carriageway trunk roads from 40mph to 50mph.
"40mph is inadequate because too many accidents are occurring because motorists are getting frustrated and overtaking trucks on these roads," says the Tory shadow road minister, Robert Goodwill MP. He doesn't believe that the police see HGV speeds as a priority: "When I spoke at the National Road Death Investigation conference in May, no-one, including the police audience, criticised or questioned our proposals to raise speed limits."
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