All UK lorry drivers could soon be subject to official ratings of their driving if a new campaign to make ‘How’s My Driving’ stickers mandatory goes ahead.
Motor safety experts at Snooper are campaigning to have all HGVs in the UK fitted with stickers for other road users to go online and rate their driving.
The call comes at a time when lorries are covering a higher number of miles on UK roads than at any time since 2019, with registrations of new HGV vehicles on the rise.
Following motorway rules and lane etiquette helps to keep traffic flowing – and speed-limited HGV vehicles driving in the outside lane can cause serious backlogs of traffic.
It’s illegal for all Heavy Goods Vehicles weighing 7.5 tonnes or more to use the right hand lane of a motorway when there are three or more lanes.
Driving in the third lane could see HGV drivers landed with a hefty £2500 fine and three penalty points on their licence, or even a driving disqualification.
In an effort to reduce road traffic accidents and collisions involving Heavy Goods Vehicles, experts have launched a new campaign for other road users to report dangerous driving.
The campaign aims to help protect both HGV drivers as much as other road users by reducing the time lorries spend in the far right hand lane.
The latest data shows that there were 654 reported road fatalities in collisions involving HGVs between 2019-2021 with this figure expected to rise as traffic volume gets back to normal post pandemic.
With an increasing number of lorries on the UK road network, experts say it’s now more important than ever to protect all road users from lorry-related incidents.
The ‘How’s My Driving’ campaign will allow road users to report any dangerous driving to the HGV’s owner or business, as well as to the DVLA.
With lorry drivers under closer monitoring, less incidents and collisions are likely to occur, as more HGV users will understand the importance of not using the right hand lane.
Gary Digva, visionary of Snooper, said: “We want to make it mandatory for all HGVs to have ‘How’s My Driving’ stickers on the back of the vehicles to encourage motorists to watch their driving and to stick to the rules of the Highway Code.
“Obviously it is a small minority of HGV drivers who are unlawfully using the right hand lane to bypass other traffic, but there is a reason why this law is in place.
“Making it illegal to let HGVs into the third lane protects all other road users from the significantly larger and heavier vehicles on the roads, especially along motorways whilst travelling at high speeds.
“Especially in extreme weather conditions, it is even more vital for lorry drivers to use the first two lanes only, as strong winds could blow HGVs off course and into other vehicles.
“With other road users being able to report dangerous driving to the HGVs operator or company, drivers risk having contracts terminated, penalties charged and points added to their licence – and even disqualification from driving.”
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