HGV'S and Kings Heath

This article is in reference to a posting written on the  i love Kings Heath website and sadly it refer es to a young person who was killed in the high street by a HGV, this happened whilst we were trading in our shop Phoenixrgv in Dads lane kings Heath so we also saw first hand the damage it had done to Friends and to family as they did not live far from our shop.

I am sure there are many questions to be asked, but to me the main question is how dose something like this happen in  a relatively small high street were there are cars parked, bus stops, traffic lights, pedestrian crossings etc all of which  would slow down the traffic which should be driving at a safe speed any way!
love kings heath website

Here is an extract copied form the link below and will give an insight into inadequate investigation's when accidents happen with HGV'S, trailers and caravans.

Copied text from part of the more detailed blog.(copied because there is far too much for me to put in to my own words and i believe far too important not to be mentioned)

INADEQUATE POLICE QUALIFICATIONS ARE CONTRIBUTING TO A FAILURE TO INVESTIGATE ALL THE CAUSES OF ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS, PARTICULARLY THOSE TO HGV’S

Peter W Jones

The West Midlands Police Authority have informed me under “the Freedom of Information Act” that it would be “against the public interest” to let me have a sample of Police Road Traffic Accident Investigators’ (RTAI’s) reports on accidents involving trailers (HGV, Caravans and small trailers).

Similarly (under the foi act) Devon and Cornwall Police have told me that it is the established custom to keep the above reports confidential to families involved and the insurance companies.

I am sure that many people are aware of the fact that Air, Marine and Rail accident reports are already available for scrutiny on the internet.

The police accident investigators are seriously under qualified for the job they are being asked to do. Hence the real reason, in my opinion, for ACPO trying to keep accident reports confidential.

The West Midlands Police confirmed to me that they did not employ any suitable person of Chartered Engineer (CEng) status or higher to advise the RTAI’s and are therefore ignoring an “Aim” laid down in the syllabus for the Police City and Guilds (C&G) certificate in Forensic Collision Investigation ( Ref 1) that RTAI’s should be able to recognise the limits of their expertise and know how to seek appropriate help.

I also know this from personal experience as for about 2.5 years starting from 2003 I was an Associate of the Institute of Traffic Accident Investigators (ITAI). (Ref 2) .I was invited to join by members who were concerned about their lack of knowledge in some areas. This would not have happened if the Police had a system for ensuring that the RTAI’s received adequate support. (The ITAI membership is almost 95% police or retired police officers).

An important aspect of this matter was first drawn to my attention in 2009 when Professor Stephen Glaister of Imperial College, London University held a press conference which highlighted ( amongst other items) the Professors’ opinion that the Police normally only investigated the causes of accidents that were attributable to law breaking. In his retirement the professor is now the Director of the charity RAC Foundation and you will see on their web site an extensive analysis of many aspects of road traffic accidents.

In particular I must draw attention to the fact that the professor’s associates at RAC Foundation have shown by Mathematical/Statistical analysis of Police, Hospital and Insurance company records that there is an under reporting by the DfT of serious injuries/fatalities on our roads by a factor of around times three.

Most University Academics devise their of own schemes of work but Leicester Simon de Montford University have had a specially designed syllabus presented  A more detailed blog