Truck Drivers are Crime Targets at Unsafe Truck Stops
A recent research by Truckersworld, a lobby group, has revealed that the number of truck drivers who were targets of highway robbery because of unsafe truck stops has gone up by 63% in the last year. Unite, the transport union has thus been asking the government to create truck stops that assure safety and security to both the truck driver as well as the cargo.
With its Truckstop campaign Unite has been trying to force the government into considering the plight of truck drivers who have to stop at unsafe truck stops. Unite wants safe and economical truck stops where the drivers can sleep peacefully, without any fear of theft. Statistics show that the total loss suffered by the economy of the UK through such truck thefts is close to £250 million in a year.
Len McCluskey, Assistant General Secretary, Unite stated that the actual experiences of their transport staff had been reflected in this report. He said that providing economical and safe stops for trucks at night would help in keeping both the driver and the cargo safe.
He went on to add that it was the government’s and the industry’s responsibility to ensure safe and affordable parking facilities on highways, so that these truck drivers who had the difficult task of delivering the cargo, were assured of a safe place to sleep at night. In McCluskey’s opinion, the only way to end such highway robbery was to provide sheltered parking and overnight lodging for truck drivers. A company that offers courses with training and support for your organisation in attaining its health and safety objectives, such as the NEBOSH General Certificate, is Workplace Law Training.
