THE TRANSPORT OF GOODS WITH PASSENGER CARS. A SAFETY PROBLEM

The increasing use of passenger cars for moving goods and other items put forward special demands on the drivers and the loading equipment. The drivers knowledge about regulations concerning loading is unsatisfactory. Three out of four drivers are not aware of the maximum permitted weight of their car and more than 50% of those driving with roof loads do not know how much weight the roof carrier can carry. Obviously there is a lack of awareness of the risks in conjunction with load in estate cars and load securing equipment is seldom used. Even if there is a better understanding of the rules related to the use of trailers, these vehicles cause safety problems. The accident analyses carried out in this project show that in 6-7% of all accidents the carried items have been a problem. 10% of all households with access to cars with a drawhook have experienced dangerous incidents. In every fifth such accident the sequence of the accident was begun by the trailer. A number of actions are suggested in the report. Driver training should include sections about the carriage of goods, an information sheet should be produced and available free of charge, product data should be more related to the use of the carrier and securing equipment. Rules about the securing of goods should also be valid for passeger cars, technical tools like roll-up laces with re-tightening mechannism should be developed. Finally there is a need to conduct further research as a bases for standardized construction specifications. (A)