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Roll-over accidents

28th May 1983, Page 36
28th May 1983
Page 36
Page 36, 28th May 1983 — Roll-over accidents
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

I WAS VERY interested in Harry Wilkins' article "Slip Sliding Away" in CM, April 30. While I agree with almost everything Mr Wilkins has to say regarding jack-knifing and roll-over accidents, I must take issue with him concerning roll-overs.

Given that the major reason for such incidents is near unassailable, there are times when it is not the driver's fault through the speeds being too fast for the curvature of the path.

There are a number of spots in the Home Counties alone where roll-over is frequent, and I am convinced that the cause is a faulty road camber or some other inexplicable aspect of the road layout which has brought about the roll-over.

At certain of these spots over the years I have supervised many high loads in absolute safety, and while I would accept the fact that occasionally a haulier's vehicle driver may be at fault, this is the exception and certainly not the rule.

In the interests of road safety and the good name of our industry, I have made it my duty to strive to find cause-and-effect of a number of incidents involving heavy trucks, and I am bound to say that I regard successive governments largely to blame, through failure to devote anything like the vast sums of money exacted from vehicle owners for new bypasses, improvement to danger spots, etc.

It is well known that the commonest factor in accidents is bad road layout. A case some years ago, which especially concerned me, although not involving a vehicle of my fleet, related to an articulated lorry which jack-knifed on a righthand curve in a village, slid to the right — the inside of the curve and killed two pedestrians.

The causes were the absence of a by-pass round the village, the excessive banking of the bend, and the fact that the driver was going too slowly for the bend. If he had ignored the speed limit, the outward force exerted during the turn would have kept the trailer on the road, but then he might have been prosecuted for what was really safe driving. This was the experts' finding. Makes you think, doesn't it?

NIGEL BREEZE Southend on Sea

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