Safety report highlights importance of driver concentration 06 February 2013

Volvo Trucks is reporting that nine out of 10 accidents involving trucks are a result of human failings.

Its study on traffic safety and road accidents in Europe is based on the OEM's own investigation of accidents, as well as data obtained from national and European authorities.

The report describes why accidents involving trucks occur, the sequence of events and what can be done to reduce the risk of incidents and their consequences.

"90% of all truck accidents stem entirely or partly from the human factor, for instance when one or more of the drivers is distracted or misjudges their speed," explains Carl Johan Almqvist, traffic and product safety director at Volvo Trucks.

The investigation also found that heavy trucks are involved in 17% of all fatal incidents and 7% of accidents resulting in personal injuries.

The majority of accidents resulting in truck driver injuries are single-vehicle incidents in which the truck drives off the road. More than half of all serious accidents with trucks consist of collisions between cars and trucks.

"Access to facts about accidents is immensely valuable for our ongoing safety work, helping us make the right priorities in our product development," comments Almqvist.

"We have further enhanced safety in our latest truck models, with a range of support systems that improve visibility, alert the driver or focus the driver's attention if something is not right."

Author
John Challen

Related Companies
Volvo Group UK Ltd

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