The Road Haulage Association is suporting the view of the Local Government Association that satellite navigation systems, designed for cars, are not suitable for use in heavy goods vehicles. However, the RHA does not agree with the proposal that legislation be brought in to make it compulsory for all lorry drivers who use sat-navs to use commercial devices and the Association will be inviting the LGA to meet to discuss this further.
“Surely using the right sat-nav system for the right vehicle is a matter of common sense,” said RHA chief executive Richard Burnett.
“HGV-specific sat-nav systems have the ability to make journeys for HGV drivers safer and more cost-efficient and that’s a big issue for us. But, we remain firm in our view that these systems should only be used as a driving aid. Drivers should pay attention to road signs at all times.
“However,” Richard Burnett continued, “this isn’t just an LGA issue, not does it just apply to UK drivers. This message needs to be communicated to all hauliers that operate their vehicles on UK roads, including those from abroad.”
Last Autumn Transport Minister Andrew Jones announced that Ordnance Survey was in the process of collecting data as part of a multi-million pound sat-nav project aimed to stop lorries and other vehicles getting stuck in narrow lanes and under low bridges on UK routes. The RHA is keen to establish how this data collection is progressing.
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