Dip goes into reverse
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• Roads minister Robert Atkins says drivers should "ensure they take extra care" when reversing.
However, he is still resisting calls from MPs for all goods vehicles to be fitted with mandatory audible reversing warning devices.
In the Commons last week Conal Gregory MP claimed that each year 2,000 accidents involve pedestrians being hit by reversing vehicles not equipped with audible warning devices. But Atkins said: "Ministers received five letters on this subject in 1989 and one letter of complaint about noise nuisance from reversing alarms. We have received no representations in 1990.
"As MPs will know, the mandatory fitting of alarms would require agreement from the Common Market," he said.
In the past 10 years there have been 50 fatal accidents involving vehicles without reversing alarms.