Lorries ‘overused and not well-kept’

ABU DHABI // Overloaded lorries and drivers with little awareness of the road continue to be a threat to lives, safety experts said.

“Increasing safety awareness is the need of the hour and this is a goal that manufacturers, owners, operators, non-government organisations and the Government must work collectively towards,” said Franz Freiherr von Redwitz, managing director of Man Truck & Bus Middle East.

“Continuous driver education is another step that can help bring down accident rates and make our roads safer.”

Bassam Al Kasser, chief executive of telematics system provider FMS Tech, said many HGVs lack modern safety equipment.

“Our roads are suffering from overloaded trucks, which pose serious safety hazards,” he said.

“Our technology monitors the vehicle’s load and alerts the manager of excess weight to help the driver and logistics centre to balance the load.”

The most common safety breaches are driving while tired, not leaving a safe distance between vehicles and being distracted while using a mobile phone.

Anti-lock braking, a lane guard system that monitors whether the vehicle stays in the correct lane, an adaptive cruise control system to help the lorry keep a safe distance from other ­vehicles are some of the safety features in the best-equipped vehicles.

The Al Ain crash on February 4, 2013, highlighted critical issues such as driver fatigue, excessive speeds and overloaded vehicles that threaten road safety.

One driver's lorry exceeded the legal load limit and he did not keep a safe distance from vehicles in front of him.

Phil Clarke, principal road safety consultant at Transport Research Laboratory, said for some companies, the need to hit targets took precedence over safety.

“Drivers should not be put under pressure to drive more quickly, for longer than is safe, or without adequate rest breaks.”

A separate issue for firms to address was the standard of the vehicles they ask their staff to drive.

Mr von Redwitz said drivers and fleet managers need to pay attention to load, driver alertness, worn tyres and improper or inadequate maintenance of heavy vehicles.

“We need to promote the use of genuine parts and clamp down on the sale of fake spare parts,” he said. “Brake failures and burst tyres are the most common causes of accidents.

“We believe that strengthening legislation and ensuring their strict enforcement on the ground can have a positive effect on making our roads safer.”

rruiz@thenational.ae