National Highways highlights HGV rear collision risk
Image: Euro NCAP
National Highways – the body responsible for operating and maintaining England’s motorways and major A-roads – has announced details of a series of crash tests it commissioned after identifying a serious risk posed by smaller vehicles colliding with HGVs at the rear.
Rear-end shunts accounted for 39 per cent of all HGV collisions in 2024, says National Highways, and were the most common type. 18 per cent of all HGV-related fatalities and serious injuries involved a vehicle hitting the back of an HGV.
As a result, National Highways initiated a series of crash tests with specialist Euro NCAP and other European road safety organisations. The testing focused on rear-end collisions involving smaller vehicles, typically cars, striking the back of HGVs. Two sets of tests were carried out in February and March.
The testing was undertaken in conjunction with Sweden’s national transport authority and Germany’s Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil Club (ADAC), a major European automobile association. All three organisations had independently identified concerns relating to rear-end collisions.
A first test looked at how effectively different HGV trailer rears were detected by cars’ advanced emergency braking systems (AEBS), with varied results. Older AEBS did not consistently recognise trailer rears, says National Highways, thereby sometimes failing to trigger the emergency braking procedure designed to initiate automatically if a driver fails to react.
The second test gauged the performance of rear underrun protection systems – the metal bars fitted to the backs of lorries to prevent cars from going under larger vehicles during a collision. Devices approved to UNECE standards were crash-tested and the results compared with those of similar tests conducted in the USA.
According to National Highways, the testing programme highlighted the importance of rear underrun protection in reducing the severity of such collisions. But the agency added that some existing designs did not prevent cars from going underneath trailers, which would lead to severe injury for occupants.
National Highways pointed out that 160 collisions involved a smaller vehicle hitting the rear of a lorry in 2024, and that collisions that involved HGVs accounted for 19 per cent of incidents resulting in fatality or serious injury on its road network, despite HGVs making up only 10 per cent of traffic.
Simon Lightwood, the roads and buses minister, said: “Every death on our roads is a tragedy, which is why I am pleased to see National Highways taking the initiative with this vital research.
“This will go hand in hand with our Road Safety Strategy – the first in over a decade – as part of our commitment to cut deaths and serious injuries on our roads by 65 per cent by 2035.”
Sheena Hague, director of road safety at National Highways, added: “Collisions where smaller vehicles run into the back of HGVs can have devastating consequences. This testing helps build a clearer understanding of how and why they happen, so we can work with our partners to take practical steps to prevent them or reduce their impact.
“The freight industry is a vital part of our economy, and we work closely with hauliers and others to help keep all road users safe.”
