Better safe than sorry
Page 23
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
What should drivers do to protect their safety when out on the road and how should they react when confronted by thieves?
Words: Guy Sheppard The death of a Polish lorry driver in the West Midlands seven months ago highlights the dangers that truckers are exposed to when out on the road.
Bogdan Bartczak’s lorry was found minus its load of TVs. Police say the most likely cause of his death was a heart attack.
Next month (8 July) six men and a teenager connected with the case are due to appear in court to face charges that include kidnap and robbery.
Although drivers who deliver high-value goods are at most personal risk, the need for vigilance and caution is universal. A report for the EU, published in 2007, estimated that organised theft of trucks and their loads was costing €8.2bn (£7.1bn) every year.
TruckPol, which monitors road freight crime in the UK, recorded 349 truck thefts in the irst three months of this year. Many of these trucks were probably stripped down for their components as well.
Fuel theft is still increasing
Fuel was by far the biggest theft category and it is on the increase. Although a relatively minor crime, it can still carry the threat of violence. Last month, a Fife-based driver experienced this while parked at Donington Services on the M1. The Road Haulage Association says he was left “extremely shaken” by the experience.
Drivers therefore need to be mindful of the psychological as well as physical harm they may suffer. Wincanton offers counselling for any of its drivers who are victims of crime.