Lorry drivers should be banned from using car sat navs to stop them getting stuck in narrow roads. That is the view of the Local Government Association (LGA) after it called for the introduction of specialist sat navs for HGV drivers.
The LGA, which represents local councils in England and Wales, says communities are blighted by incidents where lorries have blocked streets, got stuck in villages, and crashed into bridges when following car sat navs. It says there have been a number of incidents this year, including:
- A lorry that blocked a street in Bristol for 15 hours. It had to be moved by a crane
- A lorry carrying paint crashed into a bridge in Leicestershire. The LGA says a 'substantial' amount of paint was spilt over the road, blocking it for 12 hours
- Last year in Swindon, the Wotton Bassett Rail Bridge was struck by a lorry. The LGA says this has happened 'numerous times' over the past two decades
- And a car transporter that became wedged on a local country lane in Somerset. It blocked access to homes in the area.
