In this issue Steven Hinchliffe of the professional drivers’ “go to” Personal Injury specialists Hinchliffes Solicitors considers “THE POTENTIAL PERILS OF Traffic LIGHTS”.

Published in Truckstop News June 2017.

In a change to the advertised topic and as a result of a very interesting call I received from a HGV driver, this article will now consider the issues facing drivers of HGVs when approaching certain Traffic Lights.

As a car driver my general observation about traffic lights and road signs is that there are just too many of them.  That said, they are placed there for road safety reasons and to aid the flow of traffic, so I suppose I should not grumble too much.  However, I had not previously considered the potential hazards that traffic lights can pose for drivers of heavy goods vehicles due to the high seat position of the driver, and how this can affect their line of sight and their ability to see the active colour of the lights.

Most traffic lights are fitted with a small hood to make the light source more visible, especially in bright sunshine.  However, sometimes they are fitted with extra-long hoods due to particular sunlight conditions, eg at a junction near the brow of a hill facing due west, where the late afternoon sun will be directly in the face of the approaching driver.

Example of standard hooded traffic lights

Wherever a traffic light may be placed, and whether fitted with a standard or large hood, the driver of a HGV who is stationary at the entry to the junction is then faced with looking down on the traffic light, and because of the hood he or she may not be able to see the colour of the active light at all, and risk setting off when on red or getting a blast of a horn from a vehicle behind them who has been able to see the light change to green.

The driver who called me mentioned a couple of examples of places where he found the active colour of the light was not easily visible – one being near the M6 turnoff to St Helens, and another by the Wrexham Industrial Estate – but he has experienced many others.

You will also have come across louvered or slatted covers on traffic lights.  They are often used to avoid the light disturbing the occupiers of nearby premises by directing the light only into the path of the oncoming driver, or in the case of slatted covers to avoid vehicles in adjoining lanes being able to see the light and mistaking it as applying to the traffic control measures affecting their lane.

Example of a louvered or slatted traffic light cover

Generally speaking, as long as the covers have been correctly fitted they pose few problems to car drivers, but they can still leave the HGV driver blind as to the colour of the active light being displayed, and he or she may end up having to simply guess.  What is the position if the driver guesses incorrectly and sets off on a red light and is then involved in an accident?  Unless it can be proved that the traffic light junction was dangerous due to bad design, the HGV driver will remain responsible and this could involve a criminal prosecution or a claim against the driver in negligence for damage caused to other vehicles and/or a claim for compensation for the injuries suffered by the other parties involved in the accident.

The HGV driver is in a Catch 22 situation and unlikely to come out of it well.  If you find yourself in the position where you cannot see the colour of the active light, it would be best not to make assumptions and to only pull away when you know it is safe to do so.  It is better to suffer the blast from a horn of someone who can see the light, then to risk a potentially catastrophic collision.

All of my Truckstop News articles appear on my firm’s website at www.hinchliffes.co.uk in the “Latest News” blog link on the homepage.

You do not have to be a professional driver to seek our help – anyone hurt in an accident (eg members of your family or friends) can contact us for advice.

Steven Hinchliffe, solicitor and Principal of Hinchliffes Solicitors

© Copyright 2017 Hinchliffes Solicitors

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