Local Government Association calls for ban on lorry drivers using sat navs designed for cars

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An HGV smashing into bridge, It’s a pretty regular occurrence in and around Flintshire, or so it seems.

There’s barely a month goes by without some less than diligent truck driver getting their vehicle wedged under a railway bridge on Shotton High Street, Saltney or Penyffordd.

A ‘bridge strike’ involving a heavy good vehicle can leave main roads blocked for hours, traffic jams stretching for miles, trains stopped while rail engineers assess structural damage to bridges, but could cheap satnavs be the root cause of the issue?

Wedged! this Irish registered lorry was stuck under Shotton railway bridge for several hours last summer – there are plenty of warning signs for advancing drivers…

The Local Government Association (LGA), the body which represents more than 370 councils in England and Wales seems to think so.

They are calling on changes to the law which would see the use of car satnavs used in HGV’s outlawed.

All lorry drivers who use satnavs should be compelled to use commercial models say councils, and while the majority of lorry drivers are reputable and responsible, a minority cut corners by using cheaper satnavs designed for cars.

GPS systems designed for lorries include information on bridge heights and narrow roads and allow lorry drivers to enter their vehicle dimensions to ensure they are instructed to follow a suitable route.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css_animation=”right-to-left” css=”.vc_custom_1485690887872{padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #90cbdd !important;}”]

A multi-million-pound sat-nav project aims to stop lorries and other vehicles getting stuck in narrow lanes and under low-lying bridges on UK routes.

Ordnance Survey is creating a database that will contain information about 200,000 miles (321,869km) of roadways to prevent such accidents.

The National Digital Road Map database will include information about:

• Road widths
• Weight restrictions
• Bridge heights
• Restrictions on left or right turns at junctions

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The LGA also wants councils to also be able to fine lorry drivers who flout weight restrictions.

Lorries of a certain weight or width are banned from many minor roads but the police do not always have the resources to enforce the restrictions.

The Government has handed powers under the Traffic Management Act (2004) to local authorities in Wales, and London (under different legislation), to take action if lorry drivers break the law.

Councils across the country must also be given the ability to enforce weight and width restrictions where there are hotspots of abuse in their communities by issuing fines say the LGA.

They also want the Government to enable councils to take enforcement action where necessary.

Councils up and down the country are already working with communities to tackle the issue by organising lorry watch schemes and working with freight and haulage companies to ensure that lorries use the most suitable routes and roads.

The money collected from the fines could be used towards tackling the national pothole backlog – which could reach £14 billion in two years.

LGA Transport spokesman Cllr Martin Tett said:

There has been a spate of recent accidents involving lorry drivers driving irresponsibly and causing chaos. The Government must start taking this issue more seriously and give councils the legislative tools to help their communities and other motorists.

It is common sense that all lorry drivers should use satnavs designed for trucks, but this is only going to become a reality when it is a mandatory requirement. We are talking about a very small extra cost to drivers.

Lorry drivers who get wedged in narrow roads or under bridges not only endanger themselves, other road users and pedestrians, but also cause massive disruption. This has a significant impact on local economies, particularly in rural areas.

Some rural communities are fed-up with lorries ignoring weight restrictions and using their streets. The additional noise, vibration and pollution make their lives miserable.

Councils hear these concerns and are doing everything they can to help their residents, working with communities by organising lorry watch schemes. But they are trying to take action with one hand tied behind their back and urgently need tougher powers. If a community is being plagued by problems, councils should be able to respond to their concerns by issuing fines to act as a deterrent.

We would stress that most lorry drivers are reputable and drive responsibly. These powers would be targeted at the minority who do not follow the law. This is also about protecting the drivers’ safety as well as the safety of residents and other road users.

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