Safety in Road Transport
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R.H.A. CONCENTRATES ON THIS SUBJECT AT ITS EASTBOURNE CONFERENCE
By Alan Havard and Norman H. Tilsley
cc ORE than once at these conferences we have discussed resolutions which have a bearing on road safety. This is the first occasion on which the major part of the conference will be devoted to that subject." This was how the national chairman of the Road Haulage Association, Mr. A. R. Butt, opened the Association's annual conference at Eastbourne on Tuesday.
Safety formed the common theme of four papers read by experts, and of three resolutions put to the conference. The most useful contribution hauliers could make was to concentrate upon the efficient running of their businesses, said Mr. Butt. He quoted a poll recently carried out among 300 members of the long-distance group, which provided the following comparison:—
Mr. Butt said he was sure that similar results would arise from any survey of total R.H.A. membership.
What evidence there was, he added, showed that the condition of vehicles rarely played a part in causing road accidents. Bad maintenance should be regarded as a symptom of mismanagement in many other directions.
The chairman praised the R.H.A. members who served on road safety committees—there were 35 members so serving in the East Midlands area alone —and concluded: "We must at all costs show the public that the R.H.A. and its members care deeply about road safety and are actively promoting it."
"May I also say how much we, in the Ministry and, I believe, all of us here today owe to the officers and staff of the Road Haulage Association for the help we get from them ", he said. The Association's criticisms were always constructive and a real contribution to the Ministry's work in road safety.
Over the whole field of road safety, and especially in the area of road-user behaviour, there was a need for more information. It was, in fact, not at all easy to define precisely what were the significant factors contributing to accidents on the roads. The Ministry of Transport was now studying the possible wide-scale use of computers in this context.
Another measure with the same object in mind was the setting up of two experimental area road safety units. Other very important studies were being conducted by the Road Research Laboratory.
Mr. Orme concluded: "But our work can be of little avail unless we gain the understanding and co-opera tion of our customers, the 50m. road users. They are an enormous army and your industry comprises much of the most important heavy armour in it."
In answer to Mr. R. N. Ingram, Mr. Orme said that rather more progress had been made towards pedestrian segregation than one readily noticed. A lot of it was a question of paint marks in the road and of guidance. Mr. J. B. Mitchell asked how the £200 m. figure was calculated as this cost of accidents. Mr. Orme said the broad headings were: loss of output, medical costs, damage to vehicles and property, and administrative costs.
Mr. E. Taylor asked if he had any information about the proportion of accidents caused by bad maintenance. Mr. Orme replied that he hoped the use of computers would help.
Mr. Orme thought that remarks made by Mr. J. S. Wright concerning the need for making provision in road haulage and wages orders for trainees and apprentices as an extension of the Ministry's work should not be lost sight of. In answer to Mr. R. Cropper he said that a great deal of work was being done by the Ministry in connection with distracting lights on roads— as, for instance, with advertisements and bright shop fronts.
Vehicle Construction Perhaps the most technical of the papers presented at the Conference was that given by the chairman of the heavy trailers section of the S.M.M.T.. Mr. W. F. Hall, who is sales manager of Scammell Lorries Ltd. This was entitled "Road Safety—Construction of Vehicles ". Mr. Hall said that road safety was the product of, and was determined by, three main considerations—the driver, the roads and the vehicle.
Although his task was to deal with the construction of vehicles, Mr. Hall said he felt that in safety driving experience undoubtedly counted. He thought that the most skilled and courteous users of the road today—and therefore the most accident-free—were the veteran commercial vehicle longdistance trunk drivers.
On the question of roads, he suggested that they should be designed and maintained to a national standard. Local authority boundaries were all too often distinguished by changes in road width and surface, and the colour and intensity of street lighting. Most of the research on the safety of road vehicles had been done with motorcars, said Mr. Hall, although certain aspects of these findings applied equally to commercial vehicles.
Tests had been carried out by crashing cars in various ways, the object being to establish what happened to the occupants and what braking was necessary for their survival. Applying this to commercial vehicles, went on Mr. Hall, it had been found that the bonneted type was safer than the forward-control type, but unless the driver was restrained by a seat belt he would still be moving at the same speed as before the impact and would be thrown forward. There was, therefore, a strong case for seat belts to be worn by commercial vehicle drivers and for cabs made with the required provision for anchoring points. There were other requirements, too, such as telescopic steering columns, swivel-mounted sun vizors and mirrors, and padded facias.
But safety features invariably added ( 10 to the cost of the vehicles, said Mr. Hall, and—as many purchasers bought vehicles solely on price—there was, he felt, a need for regulations for agreed standards.
A technical committee of the S.M.M.T. and the Motor Industry Research Association had carried out a great deal of investigation on the subject of safety, which had culminated in the issue of a code of practice covering all aspects of driving and visibility. Mr. Hall made several recommendations regarding improvements in rearward visibility, rear lighting and headlamps, and he again stressed the fact that increased road safety was unlikely to be obtained without additional costs.
Undoubtedly the greatest factor influencing the roadworthiness of a vehicle was that it should be used on the duty for which it was designed, he said. It was possible that hauliers had no knowledge of this and operated vehicles which although were within the legal limits were, in fact, overloaded. Here plating would play an important role in the future.
Manufacturers, Mr. Hall continued, would probably redesign their complete range of vehicles to meet the recent amendments to the Construction and Use Regulations, but it was up to operators to advise vehicle manufacturers of their safety requirements.
Mr. Hall also drew attention to the importance of matching tractive units and semi-trailers. No fewer than 48 different manufacturers were involved, he said.
Replying to a criticism from a West Midlands member that manufacturers had been lethargic and irresponsible in producing vehicles, Mr. Hall said that the legal requirements prior to the new C. and U. amendments had possibly been misconstrued, but the new Regulations cleared this up.
Mr. R. B. Brittain (Eastern) said there should be anti-theft devices on semi-trailers. This was particularly necessary iii view of the fact that they had no registration plates as such and therefore were difficult to trace.
Mr. Hall suggested that this was a simple matter, and mentioned three ways in which this could be done. But there was little a manufacturer could do to foil the attempts of a determined thief, he added.
Replying to a criticism by Mr. W. McMillan (Scottish) that it appeared little had been done to anticipate the amendment regulations in connection with the supplying of triple-line air cylinders and more powerful engines and gearboxes, Mr. Hall said that engine power was a matter that was exercising the Ministry of Transport at the moment. It might be that they would introduce power-weight ratios which were common on the Continent. He agreed that there was a shortage in the supply of air cylinders, which was holding up the delivery of vehicles, but it was hoped to remedy this by the end of November.
Advisory Committees In his paper, "Vehicle Maintenance Advisory Committees ", Mr. F. Collins made a strong plea for those operators at the Conference who came from areas in which maintenance advisory committees were not in being to go back and start one. "Your L.A. will assist you no end ", he remarked.
The existing committees could not be really effective until more were formed, said Mr. Collins. Members of these committees, which were purely informal and voluntary, felt intensely about this subject and believed that their work could help to put right the present unfavourable image of road haulage.
Referring to 1955, when the West Midland maintenance advisory committee was formed, Mr. Collins recalled that the Licensing Authority said in his annual report that there was considerable room for improvement of maintenance standards. "A well-maintained vehicle is a better asset and is in any case a statutory obligation, which failure to comply with could bring the big stick of revocation or suspension."
The committees were able to instruct and guide members and, even more important, non-members, continued Mr. Collins. They had been able to accomplish a lot on associated matters such as bringing non-availability of spares to manufacturers' attention. The relationship between manufacturers and the West Midland committee had grown over the years and a lot of useful information was now exchanged. Sometimes the committee was able to shorten the time involved on solving certain problems. The committees also discussed technical problems, held open forums, and were careful not to neglect the beginner or small haulier. Literature was published advising on maintenance procedures and the Licensing Authority advised newcomers to contact the committee.
"Frankly, we don't know how effective we are ", said Mr. Coffins, but he pointed out that in 1955 prohibitions in the West Midlands area were more than 50 per cent. In 1963 they had dropped to about 40 per cent. This could be part of the contribution the committee had made, he added.
The national chairman, Mr. A. R. Butt, remarked at the end of Mr. Collins' paper that there were now about five area committees. It would be a fine thing if next year members could come back to the Conference and say that many more had been formed.
Mr. R. N. Ingram questioned whether the committee was having an effect where lack of maintenance was a policy of deliberate evasion of responsibility. "No ", replied Mr.
Anti-locking Devices
The use of anti-locking devices in commercial vehicle braking systems was advocated by Mr. G. Grime in his paper, Road Safety and the Construction and Equipping of Highways ". Mr. Grime (deputy leader, traffic and safety. division, Road Research Laboratory) dealt with slippery surfaces and skidding, particularly with regard to wet-road skids. This, he said, was of particular interest to commercial vehicle operators because, although these vehicles skidded less frequently than cars, as speeds became higher and brakes more efficient loss of control was bound. to become more widespread on slippery roads.
The advantages of anti-locking devices were two-fold, said Mr. Grime. They gave full braking with steering and, secondly, they gave shorter stopping distances than under lockedwheel conditions. Another incidental advantage might be to reduce tyre wear, but this factor was not yet confirmed.
On commercial vehicles, continued Mr. Grime, considerable benefits would be obtained 'simply by controlling the braking on the principal loadbearing axle or axles, which could be 'done with one control unit only. Nonlocking brakes could, therefore, contribute to the safety of commercial vehicles at anearlier date than to the safety of cars, where the problem was more complex,
Stationary Dangers
Discussing the need for wider provision of hard shoulders and lay-bys, Mr. Grime said that about 10 per cent of accidents on roads with speed limits of 40 m.p.h. and upwards were caused by parked vehicles. It was very important to take all possible steps to keep the commercial vehicles off the road when delivering (such as by providing lay-bys) as figures showed that heavy goods vehicles were involved in about a fifth of all accidents of this type, rising to about a third at night.
Much of the discussion on Mr. Grime's paper resulted in questions being asked to which he had to reply: 'It' is not our responsibility: you should ask the Ministry ". This prompted Mr. Butt to remark at the end of the discussion that some years ago the R.H.A. Conference had debated a resolution suggesting that there should be a Ministry of Highways. Could this be a solution, he wondered. Mr. J. P. Wells questioned whether enough was done to educate drivers with respect to lane discipline in urban areas. Mr. Grime replied that lane discipline in this country was worse than in America because we had more commercial vehicles per mile than over there. The Americans prohibited commercial vehicles on certain roads. In response to a question by Mr. E. Taylor, Mr. Grime said he thought that flyovers were better at simple crossroads, but other considerations had to be taken into account at complex intersections. He did not favour rushing into the building of multi-level expressways without knowing what we were doing.
Asked by Mr. R. Clifford about motorway surfaces breaking up, Mr. Grime said it was not a straightforward question at all. A balance had to be kept between the type of road surface and the cost. Asked by Mr. E. W. Voller about warning signs put down by construction firms, Mr. Grime said this was a matter for the Ministry, but the Road Research Laboratory had helped to draw up a code of practice. The trouble was that people did not follow it, he added.
Against Three Lanes
The first resolution before the Conference—" That the policy of building three-lane roads be discontinued as quickly as possible "—was passed, but w,ith the addition of the words: "and that where they continue to exist, overtaking should be restricted to alternative stretches of two lanes from which the third lane is separated by double white lines
The original proposer, Mr.. G. Reader, said that in either direction the first person using the centre lane of a road usually considered that he had the right to continue using it. The proposal was seconded by Mr. S. E. Willmott. After some discussion at the
instance of Mr. T. H. Anil:din, the resolution was amended into a composite one. He was supported by Mr. F. R. Bird and Mr. J. B. Mitchell.
Moving the next resolution-" That this Conference, fully supporting the views of the highways and vehicles committee of the Association, is dissatisfied with the low efficiency of the secondary braking system of some heavy goods vehicles and requests the introduction of legislation requiring the manufacture of the braking systems of all new vehicles to conform to specified and adequate standards •' -Mr. P. R. May instanced three vehicles in his own company. One had a handbrake replaced at 11.000 miles, another at 16,000 and on a third vehicle the handbrake lever came off
completely. In my opinion ", he said, "this situation is the outcome of years of muddled thinking."' He suggested that the increase in cost would be well justified.
Scapegoats
Seconding, Mr. J. E. Kirby, said that the new C. and U. amendments put into practice what was being asked by the mover. Operators were being made the scapegoats for the inefficiency of manufacturers and lack of co-ordination on the part of the Ministry of Transport. After discussion, the Conference unanimously passed the resolution with the deletion of the word" heavy ".
The third resolution (which was carried) called for ,a certificate of fitness for every goods vehicle and that such vehicles should be subject to periodical inspection. Moving the resolution, Mr. A. C. W. Neely said it was fairly common knowledge that the Ministry was formulating policies to do something about this. The R.H.A. wholeheartedly supported this —in fact they suggested it. The certificate should be given by the manufacturer before the vehicle left his hands. Mr. J. Male seconded the resolution.
There should also be a warranty of compliance with all relevant regulations, said Mr. N. T. O'Reilly. and it Should be subject to regular tests.
Mr. L. W. Ballard thought it was not for the Conference to seek more rods for its own back. The same thought was in the mind of Mr. E. Taylor. who was worried that the resolution would have disastrous consequences upon the industry. He said he would vote against it.
Don't let us bury our heads in the
sand," said Mr. R. N. Ingram, This is to the benefit of all operators." Legislation was needed, he added.
A continuation of the "Turn that lorry round" campaign and a detailed consideration of schemes which would be recommended to members to make demurrage charges where vehicles were ,held up for an unreasonable time, were called for by Mr. A. R. Butt, national chairman of the Road Haulage Association, when he spoke at the banquet at the end of the Association's annual conference on Wednesday.
"Our policy has always been a progressive one, designed to enable our members to give the most efficient service possible ", Mr. Butt said. They had found from experience that the first essential was that the individual haulier should be free to run his own business in the way that suited him best, and the Association's belief in free enterprise remained unshaken.
From this it was a simple step to the second essential, he continued, which was for hauliers to enter freely into co-operative arrangements calculated to increase the scope of their services. Dealing with the Association's progress over the past few years, Mr. Butt said that valuable links had been set up with the railways; a study group was in being which was working out ways and means in which members could co-operate with each other in every possible way. More recently, B.R.S. had been taken into membership. "In all this there is nothing to which any government of whatever party could take the least exception" he added.
Vehicle turn-round, however, called for immediate attention, went on Mr. Butt. The recent campaign had shown that, although there were many people willing to help, a large number of persons ultimately responsible could not care less, and some other way had to be found to bring home to them the fact that by holding up vehicles they were impeding a vital part of the country's economy.
Earlier in the day, a brains trust consisting of Lord Gosford, Sir Richard Bonallack, Mr. T. D. Corpe and Mr. Alan Havard (editor, The Commercial Motor), under the chairmanship of Mr. C. Macdonald Hobley, answered questions on a variety of topics.
c14 The most enthusiastic applause was given to the team when they dealt with a question put by Mr. E. David, of South Wales: Have lorry drivers lost their reputation for skill and courtesy on the roads and, if so, what can be done to help them regain it?
Mr. Havard said that he thought the drivers' reputation had, perhaps, been tarnished, but they had not lost their skill. It was not easy to drive commercial vehicles, he continued, and suggested that organizations such as the R.H.A. could "go after the national Press and television and get them to chase after some other poor, unsuspecting industry upon which to focus their ill-informed and inexpert attentions ".
Lord Gosford, Mr. Corpe and Sir Richard also agreed that drivers still had their reputation for skill and courtesy, although Mr. Corpe pointed out that there was always the "odd chap" who misbehaved on the road and gave the rest of the industry a black mark. Drivers, he suggested, should not drive nose-to-tail on narrow roads and should always keep well into their nearside.
Other questions dealt with by the team included: Can the new Government complete its full term of office with an overall majority of four? (the team thought this improbable); would the change of Government have any effect on the haulage industry? (no, not much to fear, the team thought); what would be the effect on the industry if there were no system of licensing? (catastrophic); was the current investment in roads sufficient? (no), and was the technical Press necessary? (yes).
There were also questions on road safety and the trade unions, upon which the team's opinions were divided.
It was announced that next year's conference would be held at Blackpool.