National Highways investigates HGV rear-end crash risks after safety tests

National Highways has completed a series of crash tests with Euro NCAP and European road safety organisations to better understand the risks posed by rear-end collisions involving heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).

The testing followed analysis showing that while HGVs accounted for 10% of traffic on England’s motorways and major A-roads in 2024, they were involved in 19% of collisions resulting in people being killed or seriously injured.

Rear-end collisions were the most common type of HGV-related incident, representing 39% of all such crashes. During 2024, there were 160 collisions involving a smaller vehicle striking the rear of an HGV, accounting for 18% of all serious or fatal casualties in HGV-related incidents.

National Highways worked with Euro NCAP, Sweden’s national transport authority and Germany’s Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil Club (ADAC) after all three organisations independently identified concerns about rear-end collisions.

Two rounds of testing, carried out in February and March, examined how advanced emergency braking systems (AEBS) in cars detect different HGV trailer designs and assessed the effectiveness of rear underrun protection systems fitted to the back of trailers.

The testing found that older emergency braking systems did not consistently recognise the rear of different trailer designs, meaning automatic braking was not always activated.

Tests on rear underrun protection systems also showed that while they reduced the severity of collisions, some existing designs still allowed cars to travel underneath trailers, increasing the risk of serious injury.

Roads and buses minister Simon Lightwood said: “Every death on our roads is a tragedy, which is why I am pleased to see National Highways taking the initiative with this vital research.