There is a greater need to focus on reducing risks for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, moped riders and motorcyclists, according to a report from Volvo Trucks.
“In the past decade the number of serious road accidents involving heavy trucks has been almost halved in Europe. However, truck accidents involving vulnerable road users have not been reduced to the same extent,” said Carl-Johan Almqvist, Volvo’s traffic & product safety director.
Volvo’s 2017 Traffic Safety Report shows that about 35 per cent of people suffering serious injuries or fatalities in accidents involving heavy trucks are vulnerable road users.
Giving the driver a clear overview of the truck’s immediate vicinity is crucial to accident prevention. As one of many complements to rear-view mirrors, close-quarter mirrors and reversing cameras, Volvo favours a camera to show the driver what is happening in the front corner of the passenger side.
“It is also important for pedestrians and cyclists to be aware of the importance to see and be seen and to assist in smooth, safe interaction in traffic. That’s why we are directing our educational material to both youngsters and adults, for instance our ‘Stop, Look, Wave’ and ‘See and Be Seen’ campaigns, which spotlight precisely these issues,” said Almqvist.
