Foreign Drivers - A Menace to British Traffic Safety

Signs of panic are becoming present in the UK, as results showed that accidents caused by foreign drivers on British roads have increased by 10 percent in the past year.

Due to the fact that up to 30 people a year die in collisions with left-hand drive trucks from abroad, the foreign motorists are now considered a menace to the traffic safety that the Government struggles so much to ensure.

One in ten sideswipes results in the smaller vehicle being written off. The average damage bill for all the victims is £1,872 but, in most cases, the human cost is a lot higher.

Overall, lorries registered abroad are involved in around 9,000 accidents, which is one out of every 378 across the UK. But the proportions are dramatically higher on some roads, such as the M25.

In many cases victims end up with nothing because the foreign lorry drivers leave false details, drive off without stopping or the owners cannot be traced in their home country by investigators. In some cases they do not even have valid insurance.

The biggest culprits are truckers from Poland, according to Department of Transport statistics last updated at the end of 2007, followed by those from the Czech Republic, Lithuania and Hungary.

“The police now have the power to issue on-the-spot fines of up to £900 but it may not be enough for some victims,” Accident Exchange managing director Michael Killoury told the Daily Mail.

“Non-existing policies, difficulty contacting foreign insurance companies, drivers pulling off without leaving details are all reasons cited for why motorists are likely to be unsuccessful in recovering damages from foreign-registered HGVs,” he added.