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Power-on jack-knifing
Page 21
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Minister warns drivers of hazard
DRIVERS of articulated vehicles are to receive a government warning about the danger of jack-knifing under power.
This danger has been less than fully recognised, said Transport Minister Mr Fred Mulley, last week, and he was going to advise drivers how to avoid it.
Mr Mulley made his announcement during a Commons statement about two accidents on the M1 last July in which three people were killed and 13 seriously injured. An articulated lorry and a double deck coach were involved.
The investigation of similar recent accidents tended to confirm that it was particularly hazardous to apply undue power to an unladen articulated vehicle travelling on a road surface that was both worn and wet, said the Minister, and this appeared to be the most likely explanation, of the first accident.
Highway authorities had been reminded that where the conditions of the road surface presented an unseen hazard warning signs should be displayed, said Mr Mulley.
Public service vehicles had an excellent record of safety, he went on. Their stability was stringently tested when a new model went into production, and although the bus in the accident was a double-decker there was no reason to suppose that this had been a contributory factor.
Nevertheless, he intended to consider the desirability of applying to double-decker buses and coaches the same restrictions on motorways as to speed and exclusion from the overtaking lane as applied to heavy lorries.
He would, of course, consult both sides of the bus and coach industry before reaching a decision.