Under the Safer Lorry Scheme all vehicles of more than 3.5 tonnes will be banned unless fitted with Class V (side close proximity) and Class V1 (front projection) mirrors and sideguards.
However, Christopher Hanson-Abbott OBE – founder of SteerSafe – asserts that driver information overload will be the result of criss-crossing mirror sightlines, multiple cameras and display screens, acoustic warnings, etc.
"Visual images from multiple sources can be very confusing and take a long time to process," warns Hanson-Abbott.
"Multiple mirrors, multiple monitor screens from assorted camera positions and angles are apt to disorientate the driver and even cause dizziness," he continues.
"There is scant evidence in the Safer Lorry Scheme that driver ergonomics have been considered at all."
Hanson-Abbott accuses the scheme's drafting committee of being "unaware of the latest 360-technology, already on the market for two years, which solves the blind-spot problem at a stroke".
The company points to mini-cameras mounted at the top four corners of a vehicle's body, displaying a bird's eye view of the vehicle's surroundings on a cab-mounted.
"A split-second glance reveals any hazard instantly... No more multiple mirrors, split screen monitors, much reduced information overload and, vitally, no blind spots."