Brake regs
Page 5
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BRAKING standards for new commercial vehicles came into action last Friday (October 1) as Britain implemented EEC directive 79/489.
The standards prescribed also encourage the fitting of anti-skid and anti-lock braking systems to reduce jack-knifing.
The Regulations will apply to vehicles first manufactured on or after October 1, 1982 and first used on or after April-1, 1983.
Transport Secretary David Howell hailed the move as "a further step in making lorries safer."
He continued: "Our latest statistics show that the number of heavy lorries involved in fatal or serious accidents fell to 5,118 (827 fatal) in 1981 — the lowest figure yet.
"As recently as 1970 the figure was double — 10,071 (including 1,619 fatal). Over this period heavy lorry traffic increased by about seven per cent.
Mr Howell predicted further improvements over the next few years as the result of more bypasses, fuller payloads for individual lorries, the fitting of sideguards to protect pedestrians and cyclists, and rear under-run guards to reduce the effect of collisions from the rear.