1. Avoiding incidents on the highway
28 September • Durham

2. Es Shepherd
Head of Member Advice FTA

3. What are the common issues and incidents?
This presentation looks at….
Highways England incident data
insecure loads
load strap incidents
fuel leaks
tyres
brakes
wheels
warning lamps
And of course…
Advice on avoiding these types of incidents

4. Highways England 2015 incident data
ALL incidents
75,371 - Up 11% from 2013
Shed loads
181 – Reduced 35% from 2013
Strap incidents
4,380 – Up 9.5% from 2014
Fuel spillages
533 – up 55% from 2013

5. Load securing Compliance has improved But.. Issues continue
Curtain side vehicles
EN 12642XL interpretation
‘Our loads don’t move’
DVSA and industry guidance published to help

6. Curtain side vehicles & EN12642 XL
DVSA accept EN12642 XL standard bodies to meet the minimum 50% load capability to the side
- Without additional load restraint
Providing the load is ‘POSITIVE FIT’
Which means….
Loaded to the headboard
Full width of the body
Minimal gap to rear doors
The approval certificate stipulates the loading requirements
The standard applies to the whole body structure, not the curtains !!

7. Curtain side vehicle operators – a question…..
Will your method of load securing prevent this?

8. Other types of vehicle are not unaffected…

9. Strap incidents Highways England data Strap incidents are increasing
2015 – 9.5% increase on 2014
around 1,100 hrs of road network lane disruption
Major hazard in live lanes
accident impact on other vehicles
collision avoidance reactive manoeuvres
tyre punctures
impact damage – fuel tanks etc

10. Strap incidents What are the issues? Stating the obvious…
Incorrect positioning/application
Incorrect tensioning
Poor condition
Not so obvious…
Lack of in use checks during transit, load settlement etc.
And often the overlooked…
Stowage of straps on the vehicle

11. Fuel leaks and spillages
Fuel tank rupture in accidents – unforeseen and unavoidable incidents
Fuel tanks are ‘type approved’
Type Approval includes pressure testing
Collisions tests
Strict requirements on sealing and venting
However,
side impact testing is not a requirement
fuel tanks are vulnerable to impact damage

12. Fuel leaks and spillages
Some fuel spill incidents are avoidable
Fuel tank caps
Tank cap seals
‘Temporary’ / Non Approved tank caps
Fuel tank cap requirements
Must be -
Automatic opening/closing non-removable, or
Tethered/chained, or
Lockable, with ignition key
Key only removable in locked position
Non-Approved caps –issue???? Auxiliary fuel tanks?

13. Fuel leaks - enforcement
DVSA enforcement action – fuel leaks
Amended and more stringent
Immediate Prohibition
fuel leak
defective cap/seal
IMMEDIATE PROHIBITION

14. Tyre incidents What are issues? Overheat Overload Under inflation
Catastrophic failure
Excess wear & cord exposure
Did you see any truck tyre carcass debris on your journey today?

15. Tyre incidents Driver walk around checks Tread depths Pressures
Wear and defects
Often overlooked?
Inner tyres on twin assemblies
Mis-matched tyres

16. Clicker pad question - Tyre pressures
What is your company policy on driver checks on tyres for correct inflation?
Visual check by driver
Use of tyre pressure gauges by driver
Use of Tyre Pressure Monitoring Equipment
No policy

17. Tyre incidents Maintenance providers – considerations
Inspection interval
6 week/12 week
Workshop air supply
120psi?
Policy on under inflated tyres?

18. Industry guidance Recently published Copy in delegate packs
PDF on FTA Website

19. Brake incidents Issues include: overheating component failure
binding brake

20. Brake incidents Binding trailer brakes – very common issue
Often emergency coupling wear
Service coupling checked for lift at annual test
Emergency coupling isn’t!

21. Wheel issues Remains an industry issue
Issues are usually maintenance related
Driver checks are vital
Follow the FTA guidance

22. Warning lamps - Question for clicker pads
ABS/EBS warning lamps are a big issue
A driver reports in with ABS warning lamp on, what actions do you take?
Instruct the driver to continue with their daily driving and report the defect at the end of shift
Instruct the driver to drive to the nearest maintenance facility for investigation
Instruct the driver to stop driving as soon as it is safe to do so and arrange for roadside assistance
Instruct the driver to continue driving to their next destination and arrange for roadside assistance on arrival

23. Warning lamps
Discussion… Driver reports in with ABS warning lamp on, what action do you take? What does the law state? What action will DVSA take? Does the lamp colour make any difference? What if it is EBS?

24. ABS / EBS Warning lamps
FTA successfully negotiated pragmatic DVSA action
based on what the law states
FTA guidance Briefing Note
DVSA Memo
DVSA Categorisation of Defects amendment

25. Summary Many incidents on the highway are avoidable
Vehicle maintenance and driver checks/action
Major factor
Consequences have major impact
Operator licence
Prohibitions
Prosecutions
Other road users
Network closures
Environmental impacts
Corporate image