Coming to a road near you!

New EU law could allow LHV's - Longer Heavier Vehicles - to cross our border, according to an article in the Western Gazette under their
"Dual It" campaign - read more here http://www.westerngazette.co.uk/A303-DUAL-New-laws-monster-trucks-wreak-havoc/story-20675280-detail/story.html
If you're not completely clear what one of these looks like.....it can be 3 units, 82 foot long and weighing 60 tonnes...with up to 10 axles....  
 Or as this diagram shows....6 car lengths!!

Since the early 2000s, some haulage companies in the UK had been investigating potential LHV designs and lobbying for a change in the law. Various types of LHV exist, and most of the larger types involve using extra axles, and different trailer arrangements, forming so called road trains. LHV's are supported by some hauliers as a way to increase productivity and reduce costs. Their introduction however faces opposition from rail freight, road safety and environmental groups, who want a general reduction in road traffic, and from portions of the general public over general safety and quality of life issues. 

Turning circle....

Whatever configuration of vehicle used, to be legally operated on UK roads, vehicles must adhere to the EU defined articulated vehicle turning circle regulations, which state that any vehicle must be able to navigate a turning circle around a set-point, keeping the whole of the vehicle within a corridor bounded by two circles around that point, with the inner circle having a radius of 5.3 m (17 ft 5 in), and the outer radius being 12.5 m (41 ft 0 in).   Vehicle turning circles are particularly important in the UK due to the historical existence of many narrow streets, and a high number of roundabouts......I give you the roundabout at Airman's Corner....accident waiting to happen with just an ordinary HGV!!!!  Whilst European roads/motorways are built to cope with such huge transport, our motorways far less A roads, are just not ready for anything like these huge carriers.   In addition, these vehicles are limited to 40mph on motorways...all very well but, that limit drops to 20mph on single carriageways.....can you even imagine what effect this will have on the section of the A303 past Stonehenge and on up the hill out of Winterbourne Stoke in a west bound direction.....without holiday traffic will be bad enough!!!!   I can see frustrated drivers needing to get past the huge obstruction and......I leave the rest to you!   Another problem is with our lay-bys because I certainly cannot imagine the driver of one of these LHV's being able to pull in to allow traffic built up behind to pass.   Our lay-bys are few and not long enough.....If I need to follow the advice of this sign and the only lay-by available is occupied by an 82 foot truck......



We continually read stories of cyclists coming to grief on our roads where the driver of an HGV cannot get full view of where the cyclist is, especially when they cycle up the near side and the truck may be turning left....not the HGV driver's fault but this problem will accelerate if and when LHV's are used.

This is a huge safety issue!
It certainly would be good if our local newspapers, Wiltshire County Council, The National Trust and English Heritage would get more involved and link with us at STAG in our effort to dual the A303 past Stonehenge as the Western Gazette is doing for their particular section of the A303 that needs to be dualled.