Heavy Trucks Aggressivity for Road Users- In Search of Improved Safety

For many years, heavy trucks have accounted for a large part of the damaging road traffic in France. To determine ways of improving heavy vehicles so as to diminish the severe score of accidents, the national statistic file of injurious accidents in 1982 and the ONSER bidisciplinary investigation file have been analyzed. The most important risks affect pedestrians, two-wheelers, and car passengers.

It appears research on heavy vehicles should be undertaken at first for-

• Improving lateral vision
• Fitting up of heavy vehicle flanks to avoid falls under rear wheels and to limit underrun
• Fitting up of heavy vehicle front structure to reduce its aggressivity against passenger cars

The purpose of safety measures complementary with energy savings necessity should bring about realizable solutions.