DVD targets truck drivers’ safety

The Central Motorway Police Group has launched a short DVD called ParkWise to warn both UK and non-UK truck drivers of the dangers of inappropriate parking – putting themselves at risk of losing their load or, even worse, being attacked.
It is estimated that the real cost to the UK economy of attacks on the freight industry is approaching £1 billion per year. Almost 3,750 thefts totalling £84 million were recorded in 2008.
The DVD will be given to truck drivers at ‘Stammtisch’ meetings around the UK – an initiative originally pioneered in Germany to give truck drivers the opportunity to speak in confidence directly to the police on a range of subjects that directly affected them.
PC Steve Rounds of the Central Motorway Police Group explained: “Truck drivers, on occassions, are their own worst enemy by parking up for the night, or even taking a break, in laybys or roads off motorway junctions. These areas may seem inviting enough during the day, but come the dark hours drivers can often find themselves isolated.
“The criminal gangs that prey on truckers know the locations where they lay up and they target the vehicles for the valuable loads that are being carried, particularly inside curtainside trailers.”
The ParkWise DVD is about seven minutes long and will be played in drivers’ rest areas on ferries and Eurostar trains. It shows how criminals target drivers who choose not to use well-lit and secure motorway service areas and other truck parks, in favour of the ‘free’ option.
Targeting mainly non-UK drivers who may be unaware of the risk of crime, ParkWise shows how drivers can be lured from their cabs by bogus officials. Using nothing more than a flourescent coat, a criminal aims to pass himself off as a secuirity guard, telling the driver that an attempt has been made on the rear doors of his trailer. When the driver gets out to examine the damage, a van drives up and the driver is bundled in the back, kidnapped and his truck and its load stolen by an accomplice.
Humberside Police is the latest force to adopt the Stammtisch scheme. It aims to bring the same level of neighbourhood policing to the trucking community that is offered to residents at local police surgeries, only with a more targeted subject matter.
The simple concept has two well-qualified officers, knowledgeable in commercial vehicle legislation – such as drivers’ hours and use regulations – setting up an events vehicle in truck parks at service areas used by the road haulage community.
Officers deliver intelligence bulletins warning of specific threats of lorry load thefts, offenders’ descriptions, vehicles used and their methods of operating, to raise awareness. Drivers often ask about points of law specific to their industry and officers can carry out impromptu training or offer advice and guidance, all in strict confidence.
Drivers of heavy goods vehicles account for almost 25 per cent of the total users of Britain’s roads retwork.
Intelligence suggests that against the current economic climate, some unscrupulous operators are exerting pressure on drivers to breach driving regulations and use un-roadworthy vehicles or face unemployment.
Sergeant Chris Hood, of the Road Policing Unit, said: “Stammtisch events have been running across the UK for some time and are proving to be an effective means of communication where truck drivers can speak to the police about issues that affect them.
“We also visit known truck stops and areas where truck drivers park to make sure that they are safe and secure overnight. We leave leaflets on their cabs so that they know we are actively patrolling the area.”