Lorry drivers should be banned from using car sat navs to stop them getting stuck in narrow roads. That is the view of the Local Government Association (LGA) after it called for the introduction of specialist sat navs for HGV drivers.
The LGA, which represents local councils in England and Wales, says communities are blighted by incidents where lorries have blocked streets, got stuck in villages, and crashed into bridges when following car sat navs. It says there have been a number of incidents this year, including:
- A lorry that blocked a street in Bristol for 15 hours. It had to be moved by a crane
- A lorry carrying paint crashed into a bridge in Leicestershire. The LGA says a 'substantial' amount of paint was spilt over the road, blocking it for 12 hours
- Last year in Swindon, the Wotton Bassett Rail Bridge was struck by a lorry. The LGA says this has happened 'numerous times' over the past two decades
- And a car transporter that became wedged on a local country lane in Somerset. It blocked access to homes in the area.
Councils are now calling on the Government to take action and use its forthcoming Transport Bill to mandate HGV drivers to use specialist sat navs. These are devices which include bridge heights, narrow roads, and roads unsuitable for trucks.
They also allow the driver to input the lorry's dimensions - height, width, weight and load. The LGA says this means they will be guided along suitable roads for their vehicle.
The LGA says making them mandatory will support HGV drivers to carry out effective route planning. Especially new drivers coming into the industry.
Lorries colliding with local infrastructure such as railway bridges, or becoming stuck on narrow roads causes major disruption and is costly to local communities, says the LGA. hey often take significant amounts of time and resources to free, cause major congestion across the local road network generating more emissions and they disrupt local rail services.
Councillor David Renard, LGA transport spokesperson, said: “The spate of accidents we continue to see involving lorries blocking streets, damaging local areas and crashing into bridges on an all too regular basis are causing major disruption to local communities. There are more lorry journeys than ever, risking more incidents. HGV mileage grew by nearly 9 per cent over the last year and is back above pre-pandemic levels.
“Councils already work with freight and haulage companies to ensure that lorries use the most suitable routes and roads. However, there are a minority of drivers who continue to follow sat nav systems that take them down routes that are totally inappropriate for the weight and height of their vehicle. By making it mandatory for anyone operating an HGV to use a specialist sat nav device, the Government can help to reduce the risk of accidents and keep our roads moving.”
