1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182 
FTA calls for LGV friendly sat-nay
Page 17
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Truck-specific satellite navigation would reduce incidents of CVs being led into sticky situations by their technical 'aids'. David Harris reports.
MANUFACTURERS of satellite navigation systems are being asked to revise their systems because LGVs are becoming stuck after being sent down unsuitable roads, The Freight Transport Association (FTA) wants manufacturers to develop equipment that warns truck drivers if roads are too narrow or will take them to somewhere where they might get stuck, unable to go forward or turn around.
James Hookham, the ETA's policy director, says: "There are too many stories of lorries getting stuck or using inappropriate roads because of sat-nay systems, and there is a lot more that suppliers can do to make their systems more useful to the CV driver." But Hookham adds that drivers must use their common sense because "blindly following the advice of a computer is not always the best policy".
The FTA wants sat-nay manufacturers to incorporate vehicle width, height and length restrictions: LGV bans; kerbside loading and unloading restrictions; and recommended truck routes. It would also welcome information on truck parks, driver facilities and public weighbridges.
Hookham adds: "Delivery vehicles do a greatjob in bringing goods to the doorstep of companies and consumers every day and we want to make this process assafe and efficien f as possible, and avoid the dis tress and inconvenience of large lorries using unsuitable roads."
• A local authority in Wales has put up a warning sign on a route where several trucks have become stuck. The sign, on the A48 near St Hilary in the Vale of Glamorgan, was designed by a local traffic engineer and is to he trialled for a year. If it is successful similar warning signs could be used elsewhere in Wales.
Also in Wales, an artic driven by a Polish driver was stuck for more than three hours on a tight bend near Tycroes, Carmarthenshire, after the driver relied on instructions from his sat-rnm