One of the biggest road safety hazards in towns and cities is the interaction between motor vehicles and vulnerable road users such as cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians, with the main problem being the lack of visibility by the driver of certain areas around the vehicle where vulnerable road users are prone to place themselves. In this article, Richard Smith looks at the devices that can be applied to goods vehicles to mitigate this risk.

In this article, Andrew Woolfall of Backhouse Jones solicitors looks at the latest revisions to the Traffic Commissions’ Statutory Guidance documents, issued in November 2018.

There has been much debate and discussion over the past 12 months concerning various guidance notes being issued by the authorities, changes in enforcement practices and new proposals being set out by the European Commission. These have all led many operators to be uncertain as to the current law concerning drivers and weekly rest. In this article, Andrew Woolfall looks to explain the current legislation and changes that are planned for the coming years.

Unfortunately, when cyclists and lorries come into close proximity on the road, the result is too often a serious or even fatal accident. According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), there were 271 collisions between trucks and cyclists in 2016 resulting in 16 riders being killed and 56 seriously injured. Although only 1.5% of cyclist casualties occurred in collisions with lorries, RoSPA highlights, this resulted in 16% of cyclist deaths. The problem is especially acute in inner London where, over the past three years, trucks were involved in over 70% of cyclist fatalities, despite only making up 4% of road miles in the capital. Paul Clarke looks at the latest initiatives aimed at reducing this level of serious accidents and, specifically, at the organisations involved.

Even in the best run transport business, there will inevitably be occasions when drivers cut corners, make mistakes or in some cases deliberately bend the rules. In this article, Chris Powell looks at the practical processes and procedures that transport managers and operators should have in place to:

In 2017, the Mayor of London published proposals for, and invited comment on, a scheme to require all goods vehicles over 12 tonnes to obtain a safety permit before being allowed to operate in Greater London. It has now been confirmed that, subject to final approval, this will take effect on 26 October 2020, the same day that new, stricter emissions standards will apply to lorries in the Low Emission Zone (LEZ).

In July 2017, the Government published its plan to reduce roadside NO2 levels as part of which the authorities in Birmingham, Leeds, Nottingham, Derby and Southampton were required to introduce CAZs by 2020. A large number of other urban local authorities had to produce local action plans, most of them on the basis of a single stretch of road that exceeds the mandated limits.

Why are drivers’ hours controlled?

Richard Pelly, Director of Pellys Transport & Regulatory Law, reviews the application of the drivers’ hours rules to those who run small goods vehicle operations.

Most operators, transport managers and drivers have a good understanding of the main EU Drivers’ Hours Regulations. Despite this, there are a few persistent myths, misunderstandings and dangerous assumptions that arise time and again. In this feature article, Chris Powell (of Smith Bowyer Clarke Road Transport Lawyers) studies two of the most common myths.