The number of collisions with arrow trucks has never been higher than this year. This is according to a census by Rijkswaterstaat. Up to November, there have been 31 collisions with arrow trucks and impact absorbers and 10 collisions with road stewards’ vehicles. Rijkswaterstaat fears that this number will increase further towards the end of the year.
The last month of this year is no longer necessary for the dubious honor of this record. Compared to 2020, there are already nine more collisions with the arrow trucks. In 2020, Rijkswaterstaat counted 22 collisions with vehicles that block a lane due to road works or accidents, in 2019 the counter came to 21 incidents. However, a spokesperson for Rijkswaterstaat says that the end is not yet in sight. “The busy and dark months of November and December are yet to come, so we fear for what is to come.”
According to Rijkswaterstaat, the higher number of collisions is due to the corona time. Due to the relative calm on the road, Rijkswaterstaat brought work to the fore, so that there were also more signaling vehicles on the roads. This increases the risk of a collision. Inattention and distraction are the main culprits, because according to Rijkswaterstaat, an arrow cart is not easy to overlook. “You don’t just drive into them, they are enormously lit and clearly visible both at night and during the day,” continues the spokesperson. According to him, the collisions did not lead to fatal incidents or serious injuries, but that does not alter the fact that the impact on staff is large. “They often say that an angel sat on their shoulder.”
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl