The vast majority of people are unaware HGV drivers can be punished more severely than others for careless driving, or that you can face a prison sentence for the offence, research has revealed.
It found that two years after the law was changed, most people still don’t fully understand the gravity of being found guilty of causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving.
The “worrying” lack of awareness was exposed in research conducted by commercial HGV insurance broker McCarron Coates, which discovered 75% of people wrongly thought ‘serious’ related to an injury more severe than a broken bone, when just a broken finger could lead to punishment.
Furthermore, 20% believed the punishment was a heavy fine when no fines are levied at all for the offence; the outcome is a motoring ban and possibly a prison sentence of up to two years.
McCarron Coates said this was unappreciated by 85% of people, who did not believe you could be imprisoned for driving carelessly or with a lack of consideration.
And 86% of those surveyed also did not realise that HGV drivers can be punished more severely than other drivers.
The 2022 law takes into account the hierarchy of road users, introduced in the Highway Code in 2021.
It places commercial vehicle drivers at the bottom of the hierarchy, with more responsibility for the safety of other road users than any other group.
The survey also found 83% did not realise serious injury could mean mental or physical impact.
In February, car driver Cameron Bryce received a 15-month jail sentence for causing a lorry driver to suffer psychological harm following a fatal collision.
Bryce, 23, was jailed for five years for a collision he caused that led to the death of another driver, as well as 15 months to run concurrently for causing serious injury by careless driving due to the significant mental trauma caused to an HGV driver involved in the crash.
Ian McCarron, director at McCarron Coates, said: “The lack of awareness about the hierarchy of road users and the possible impacts of the 2022 law on a life or livelihood is worrying.
“This is a law that, for whatever reason, whether that is the pandemic, cost of living crisis or just a general lack of publicity, has slipped under the radar.
“We need to swiftly correct that and make sure all road users understand where they stand, if they cause even what might be deemed by many people to be a fairly moderate amount of harm to another person.”
