Overseas trucks often "accidents waiting to happen"
Commercial insurance
12th March 2010
Overseas trucks on British roads are an accident waiting to happen and could impact companies who need to keep insurance for business costs down.
This is according to the Freight Transport Association (FTA), which said the forthcoming Public Accounts Committee report into regulation in this area of the industry is necessary because there is not currently an effective monitoring system in place to ensure foreign drivers comply with UK rules.
Not only do overseas lorries have a poor safety record but they are often operated by tired motorists, said the FTA's Jo Tanner.
In addition, they tend to purchase fuel from outside the British Isles due to a lower level of tax - so while they contribute nothing to the country's economy, they "effectively drive on the UK's roads for free", she added.
"This isn't the first report to highlight the inadequacies of taxation on these overseas vehicles, and sadly it probably won't be the last. What we need now is action."
FTA members helm more than 200,000 goods vehicles, representing nearly half of the UK's fleet.
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