Lost-wheel surveys spark industry row
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by Sally Nash II A damning Government report on wheel loss, which shows there could be as many as 2,000 incidents a year, has sparked condemnation from industry experts who believe a solution could have been found earlier if manufacturers had taken the problem seriously.
The Department of Transport's first report into wheel loss comes 16 years after the phenomenon was first identified as a problem. It was compiled from two surveys—by the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Vehicle Inspectorate—which were carried out nationally last year to try to determine the extent of wheel loss. The surveys followed pressure from campaign groups, engineers, lawyers and coroners.
ACP° recorded 124 incidents over three months. In 92 of those cases the wheel was completely detached; 35 cases resulted in accidents and four involved personal injuries. The VI's two-month survey reported 303 cases of loose wheels serious enough to merit prohibition notices.
The findings of both surveys confirm that most incidents affect tractors rather than trailers; nearside rather than offside wheels; and drive-axle wheels.
It has also emerged that 46% of incidents reported to ACP° were due to obvious faults, lack of maintenance or recently refitted wheels.
But industry experts slammed the report as "absolute nonsense" because it failed to address the issue of why wheels actually fall off trucks.
"It's quite simple," says one. "Larger wheel studs-24mm instead of 22mmand thicker wheel naves would solve the problem and cost peanuts. But manufacturers are saying nothing because they could be in the firing line."
Another consulting engineer claims that wheel loss seems to occur on the vehicles of two manufacturers in particular. And he warns: "If nothing is done, the tally of deaths will continue."
Despite the report's findings, and estimates that wheel loss causes around 10 deaths a year, the Government is still shying away from committing itself to further research.
The DOT says: "There is no pot of money put aside for this, but we will be looking further into the issue." • The Transport Research Laboratory has delivered a report to the Government which could form the basis of new European rules on HGV mudguards.
The 1991 EC directive on spray suppression equipment was based largely on UK requirements; now the European Commission wants to see what more can be done to protect motorists and their vehicles from HCV spray.
The TR has measured the effect of spray on driver vision and investigated spray suppression procedures across Europe. Its findings are now being studied by the DOT, which is due to publish its own report early next year.