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Heavy Vehicles

Heavy goods vehicles (trucks) and buses have an important role to play in the economic wellbeing of any country.

The greater mass of heavy vehicles means that consequences of any crashes they are involved in tend to be severe. As they interact with other road users (especially vulnerable ones such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists) there can be serious safety consequences, especially without adequate facilities and controls.

Truck occupants are also at risk themselves, particularly in higher speed environments. Trucks may run off the road or collide with other vehicles, with serious consequences to occupants.

Data also exists in some countries on single heavy vehicle crashes that result in multiple fatalities of up to and over 30 deaths. This is from crashes involving public transport heavy vehicles.

Driver errors resulting from speed, drink driving and fatigue all contribute to truck crashes.

Vehicle defects may also play a significant role in truck crashes. Recently manufacturers have made advances in the design of heavy vehicles and in some countries regulation of their use is well established.

In the UK, only heavy goods vehicles that with safety equipment fitted are allowed on London’s roads and are also given a safety rating between zero and five stars, measured by how much a driver can see directly through their cab windows.

There are also many road related factors that influence the risk of crashes. It is often easier and cheaper to improve safety through a change to the road environment than it is to change driver behaviour, so improvements in the road system are an important means of improving road safety.

Road related contributing factors to crashes include:

  • inappropriate speeds
  • uncontrolled movements and turns, especially at intersections and access points
  • lack of separation of vehicles or road users of different size (e.g. lack of facilities for pedestrians and cyclists)
  • lack of separation for vehicles travelling in different directions (e.g. lack of median barriers)
  • tight radius turns
  • long steep grades in conjunction with overloading contributing to brake failure
  • seasonal agricultural vehicles using or crossing trunk roads in rural areas
  • lack of advanced warning of hazards
  • inadequate information to enable road users to negotiate the roadway safely
  • presence of hazards, particularly at the roadside (e.g. utility poles and trees)
  • poor road surface.

Name Cost rating Effectiveness
Additional Lane High 25 – 40%
Central Hatching Low 10 – 25%
Central Turning Lane Full Length Low 10 – 25%
Delineation Low 10 – 25%
Duplication High 25 – 40%
Intersection – Delineation Low 10 – 25%
Intersection – Grade Separation High 25 – 40%
Intersection – Roundabout Low to Medium 60% or more
Intersection – Signalise Medium 25 – 40%
Intersection – Turn Lanes (Signalised) Low to Medium 10 – 25%
Intersection – Turn Lanes (Unsignalised) Low to Medium 10 – 25%
Lane Widening Medium to High 25 – 40%
Median Barrier Medium to High 60% or more
Median Crossing Upgrade Low to Medium 25 – 40%
One Way Network Medium 25 – 40%
Parking Improvements Low to Medium 10 – 25%
Railway Crossing Medium 60% or more
Realignment – Horizontal High 25 – 40%
Realignment – Vertical High 10 – 25%
Regulate Roadside Commercial Activity Low to Medium 10 – 25%
Restrict/Combine Direct Access Points Medium to High 25 – 40%
Road Surface Rehabilitation Medium 25 – 40%
Roadside Safety – Barriers Medium 40 – 60%
Roadside Safety – Hazard Removal Low to Medium 25 – 40%
Rumble Strips Low 10 – 25%
Service Road High 25 – 40%
Paved Shoulder Medium 25 – 40%
Skid Resistance Low to Medium 25 – 40%
Speed Management Medium 25 – 40%
Traffic Calming Medium to High 25 – 40%

Related Images

  • State highway in India with 2+1 lane configuration and roadside safety barrier. Image credit: iRAP
  • A run-off crash. Barrier end terminals must be designed to minimize risk upon impact. A crash attenuator would be a suitable end treatment in this case. Image credit: JP Research India
  • Vehicle occupant Star Ratings by road user type based on a 358,000km sample of roads across 54 countries. Image credit: iRAP
  • Showing wide centreline treatment incorporating median rumble strips, Old Bruce Highway, Australia. Image credit: Unknown
  • Overload truck, India. Image credit: A.Tiwari IRSM.
  • Overloaded truck in India. Image credit: iRAP
  • Overturned truck in Assam, India. Image credit: A. Tiwari
  • Thirteen primary school teachers were killed instantly when this minibus slammed into an oncoming truck on an undivided highway, South Africa. Image credit: North West Provincial Government
  • Tractor in India. Image credit: Greg Smith
  • Service road for slow-moving and local traffic in Philippines. Image credit: Alina Burlacu
  • Trucks in India. Image credit: iStock
  • Trucks on an undivided highway in India. Image credit: iStock
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