Being mislead by a satnav is a common excuse for a rising level of bad behaviour from the drivers of heavy lorries. These can routinely be found taking unauthorised short cuts all over the countryside, ignoring legal weight limits, and generally blighting the lives of those living in towns and villages where roads were not designed to take these massive behemoths.
I have contacted our MEP Vicki Ford about this matter since it is often the case that the lorries come from Europe. Not being domiciled in the UK unfortunately means that even if one takes their licence number and other identifying details there is little hope of action being taken. Apparently law breaking drivers must be prosecuted here, and it is difficult to rouse the interest of the police in this sort of problem at the best of times. It is particularly difficult once the lorry has disappeared back across the Channel.
At the grassroots I, with a number of other County and District councillors who represent some of the worse affected areas, are trying to work on this issue. Some small progress is being made in some places (I will not say where as I do not wish to raise expectations that could be subsequently dashed.) This is a complex issue, and while one can tinker at the edges, real improvement needs a change in attitudes at the national and European level. I am not holding my breath.
It is clear that as lorries have grown larger and larger (quite legally due to Government and EU rule changes on permitted vehicle weight over the years), the implications for our historic built environment, for tourism and pedestrian and cyclists' safety have simply not been considered. This is yet another example of the fact that everything seems to be subservient to the goal of short term economic growth without consideration for the quality of life and environment that that growth is likely to deliver.
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