OFF THE BACK OF A LORRY
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he old music hall expression "it fell off the back of a lorry guvnor" took on a chilling aspect late last week. Judging by comments from eyewitnesses, the recent horrific crash on the M4 could well have been caused by the British Legion coach hitting a number of pallets said to be strewn over the carriageway. Back luck. or bad loading? Either way if the pallet theory proves correct then this was an accident that was avoidable. For any operator to allow a load to fall from a vehicle is tantamount to negligence of the worst kind. Yet there are plenty of operators and drivers who are clearly prepared to trust their luck, rather than their professionalism. According to Department of Transport Figures, every year around 4,500 drivers and operators are successfully prosecuted for having an insecure load. What those figures don't highlight is how many injuries or deaths will result from their negligence. Lose a pallet off a lorry at 60mph and you're hurling an unguided missile literally into the face of the following traffic. Every year the DOT's Highways Agency clears more than 5,000 tons of debris from Britain's motorways in an exercise that is as dangerous for the gatherers as it is for the Followers. In a recent survey into the problem of motorway debris, which focused on the motorways in the Birmingham area, 127 vehicles had collided with debris resulting in 56 accidents and the motorway network being shut down for 125 hours. Not every piece of debris comes from a truck. But professional road hauliers should have a far greater knowledge of the dangers of loose loads than the average motorist—and be even more vigilant. Ignorance is no excuse. There's enough information around on how to make sure what you're carrying stays where it should. The bodybuilders, vehicle manufacturers and load restraint equipment makers all offer plenty of practical advice. There's even a Government publication on the subject: Code of Practice—Safety Loads on Vehicles which can be obtained from the HMSO on 0171-873 0011.
The industry could do more. Not least when it comes to pushing for a proper section on safe loading in the Goods Vehicle Driving test. Poor practice starts with poor training. Someone, somewhere knows where the M4 pallets came from. And what they fell off. Can you be sure it wasn't one of your wagons? ■
1905-1995 1\VMM