Calls made for visibility improvements

Date: 27/4/2010

Calls have been made for haulage companies to sign up to a voluntary code of practice and fit retro-reflective markings to their vehicles.

While the law is set to change in the coming years making such marking compulsory on all new goods vehicles, any voluntary steps taken now would help improve road safety, charity Brake has argued.

"The safety merits of these markings are clear and there is nothing to stop companies operating trucks voluntarily fitting these markings now," said Ellen Booth, campaigns officer at Brake.

According to the charity, in 2008 there were 368 fatalities on UK roads as a result of accidents involving HGVs - the equivalent of 15 per cent of all road fatalities.

However, such vehicles account for 1.5 per cent of registered vehicles, the organisation claims.

It adds that fitting retro-reflective markings has been proven to be an effective method for reducing the "disproportionately high number of fatal accidents in which HGVs are involved".