Impact case study database

The impact that has been generated by the research team was enabled by the development of relationships with the DfT, TfL, the European Union, the UNECE and eight vehicle manufacturers. It is through this network that the team has modified existing and created new vehicle design regulations through the application of our innovative analysis techniques. The impact achieved was a culmination of multiple pathways over a 10-year period. This research effort has led to the following impacts.

Impact 1: The UNECE regulations were changed to remove an HGV driver blind spot.

All HGVs sold in Europe from the 15th of July 2015 must meet UNECE Regulation 46 revisions defined by P1, which increases the coverage of standardised mirrors to fill in the blind spot identified in the project [R3, R4]. The pathway to this impact involved research performed in 2010/11 [R2], the presentation of the results and suggested change to regulation to the UNECE in 2011 [R1], the acceptance of the suggested change to regulation in 2012 by the UNECE [S9] and the final change to the regulation which came into force for all new vehicles in 2015. The vehicle standards defined by the UNECE are applicable in 56 nations, including the EU, Japan, and Australia. This change to the regulation removed the blind spot that is in a location around the vehicle which is the ‘area of greatest risk’ for VRUs in close proximity to the HGV cab in an urban environment [R5].

Impact 2: A New Direct Vision Standard was adopted for all HGVs in London.

All HGVs which enter London must meet the minimum safety requirements of the TfL Direct Vision Standard, which has been defined by the research team in projects P2-P5 [S1, S2, S3], [R6]. This involved the manufacturers applying the Direct Vision Standard method by following our protocol for every vehicle design. The results were then presented to TfL by the manufacturers, which in turn allowed a permit to be produced for each vehicle. If the performance that is stated in the permit was below the minimum requirement defined by the research team, the vehicle operator was required to fit 6 extra safety features to the vehicle. This compromise was implemented by TfL due to over half of the vehicle designs which were assessed being unable to meet the DVS minimum requirement. Therefore, over half of the existing designs allowed blinds spots between indirect vision through mirrors and direct vision through windows, highlighting the significant scale of the problem.

Impact 3: New EU and UNECE policy was shaped to include direct vision requirements in vehicle safety regulations that are applied to all HGVs sold in Europe.

The research on understanding blind spot size and location, and the subsequent design of the direct vision standard for London has had an impact beyond the UK. An increasing number of accidents between HGVs and VRUs has been recognised by other European cities including Berlin, Amsterdam and Copenhagen. Driven by the research performed by the Loughborough research team, Transport for London, safety and sustainability related NGOs, and European city representatives have lobbied the European Parliament to improve the design of all HGVs used in urban environments in Europe. The research team have supported these lobbying efforts by presenting the research in a number of European cities with audiences of MEPs and other stakeholders.

In 2019 the lobbying efforts came to fruition when the EU parliament voted to include direct vision requirements in the European General Safety Regulation using the following statement:

“Vehicles of categories M2, M3, N2 and N3 shall be designed and constructed to enhance the direct visibility of vulnerable road users from the driver’s seat, by reducing to the greatest possible extent the blind spots in front of and to the side of the driver, while taking into account the specificities of different categories of vehicles.” [S8]

It was determined that the most effective way to implement this change was through UNECE regulations which would apply to all EU nations. In 2018, the research team was invited to join the UNECE VRU Proxi working group which directly feeds recommendations for change in vehicle standardisation to the UNECE in Geneva [S6]. The London DVS became the model to follow by the UNECE VRU Proxi group. The research team, funded by the DfT and TfL, subsequently worked with the UNECE VRU Proxi group over a two-year period to refine the London DVS methodology into a standard for all vehicles sold in the EU. The records of the UNECE VRU Proxi group [S7] clearly showed that our research and methods influenced the approach adopted by the UNECE. This was confirmed by the Chair of UNECE VRU Proxi group when discussing our methodology for the measurement of direct vision from HGVs:

“It is fully clear that the methodology for the assessment of direct vision is fit for purpose and that it will be the foundation of the method that will, within the foreseeable future, be adopted by the UNECE World Forum for the global harmonization of vehicle regulations, as the new regulatory standard to be implemented by the UNECE Contracting Parties, which will include all European nations.” [S5]

The changes to vehicle design that are required by the new UNECE regulation will impose a development burden upon vehicle manufacturers around the world, with redesign of the vehicle cabs and underlying structures being required in many cases. Therefore, the proposed regulation change for the UNECE direct vision standard will come into force in 2026, allowing this development time. The impact claimed here is therefore the use of our research to support the lobbying efforts leading to the EU parliament vote requiring improved direct vision for HGVs in Europe, and the adoption of our methodology for measuring direct vision by the UNECE VRU Proxi group. An EU impact assessment [S4] performed in 2015 has indicated that adopting the DVS method will save 553 lives per year in Europe.