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lludflaps

23rd July 1965, Page 27
23rd July 1965
Page 27
Page 27, 23rd July 1965 — lludflaps
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

WHEN Lord Lindgren, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, said in the House of Lords recently that the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders were " not falling over themselves with enthusiasm" about the. question of fitting mudfiaps to commercial vehicles it was to be expected that he might evoke some reply. Indeed, a letter is published on page 77 of this issue.

The position seems to be that the Road Research Laboratory has conducted an investigation which shows that improved mudguards and rntidtlaps can reduce spray behind commercial vehicles, and as a result of this finding the Ministry is seeking suitable design improvements from the commercial vehicle manufacturing industry..

The R.RL report .went in January to the SMMT, who have now issued an interim reply. This is published with the letter on page 77.

This much is certain. Spray whether it is from the side. or the rear --emanating from commercial vehicles moving at speed On main roads (and particularly motorways), is one of the most dangerous hazards which a driver has to Contend with on contempcirary British roads. If drainage is bad on the road section in question, it is not unusual for the barrage of spray thrown up to be .sufficient either to force an overtaking vehicle to come through " blind orto force the same vehicle to hold back unnecessarily.

Admittedly, road surface drainage Will probably do much more to cure this hazard than mndflaps alone,but the RRL says quite plainly' . that a considerable improvement' could be effected by fitting mild, flaps on commercial vehicles. If-this is either an impossible or an expensive exercise the SMMT ought to produced incontrovertible proof. Otherwise the case for fitting mudflapS to commercial vehicles seems to be considerable.


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