As stated in an earlier report autobuses and lorries are important and often very necessary transport vehicles, but they are the most dangerous for other road users (see irrd 288526). The following factors can in theory be responsible for accidents in which heavy lorries are involved: (a) vehicle design; (b) highway design or layout; (c) driver error; and (d) other areas of conflict such as obstruction and the side wind produced by lorries when overtaking. The poor or even bad functioning of these heavy vehicles can cause accidents. Accident data can show which of these problems are better or worse than those produced by cars or delivery vans. A review of the literature on accidents involving heavy vehicles over the last ten years is presented. The literature is mainly from europe and the united states. The main purpose of the study is to compare the traffic safety record of heavy vehicles in a number of countries, especially in europe, with the situation in the netherlands, in order to ascertain whether the causes of accidents involving heavy lorries is the same for all countries. These comparisons can serve as a basis for further research into accidents with heavy vehicles in the netherlands, using police records.
Abstract