Foreign lorry accidents on UK roads have reached a staggering figure of £57,000,000, more than double the projected income of proposed charges to foreign trucks.
Estimated by motor industry specialist, Accident Exchange, the figures come as the UK government contemplates a £10 daily charge for foreign lorries entering UK roads.
The £57m figure exceeds the £23m yearly projected revenue that is set to be generated by the proposed charges to foreign trucks by 2016, by more than 50%.
Between December 2010 and December 2011, foreign lorries were ‘at fault’ for one in every 31 motorway accidents processed by Accident Exchange. This represents a 30% increase on figures for the previous 12-month period.
Foreign lorry accidents account for 3.2% (3,440) of the estimated 107,500 vehicle incidents on motorways each year.
The £57m figure factors in average repair bills, which exceed £2,300, averages for vehicle premiums and the average values of prevention, such as the cost for financial services as well as a host of other accident related costings.
Just under half (49%) of foreign lorry incidents take place on motorways according to Accident Exchange, with the M25 acting as the biggest culprit in lorry accidents. The 117-mile stretch that makes up the London Orbital accounted for one in three (37.3%) of all motorway incidents involving foreign lorries.
The 194-mile M1 accounted for 17.3% of foreign lorry accidents, closely followed by the M6 at 14.6%.
“Foreign-registered HGVs remain one of the most difficult ‘at-fault’ parties to recover costs from,” said Steve Evans, Chief Executive of Accident Exchange. “Issues motorists face include: invalid insurance policies; untraceable owners; drivers leaving false details or just failing to pull over at all.”
Although the proposed £10 daily and £1,000 annual charge for foreign lorries will go some way to making a dent in the £57m figure, Evans argues that it may not see the end of the oversights made be left-handed HGV drivers as they enter UK roads.
