I’m sure we all are able to talk of experiences we see while driving on our very busy roads but what about the times we see the start of an accident just waiting to happen.

Last Friday on my way home from USAF Mildenhall (where another 6 personnel are able to keep safe on the left), I approached the roundabout at Thetford to join the Thetford/Diss road.

Coming in from the road on the left was a very large articulated truck, I then followed the truck and to my astonishment found the right hand side rear door was flying open into the road, on coming traffic were having to take action to avoid the door.

I moved out so the truck driver would see me in his door mirror, where I flashed my headlights to draw his attention in order to get him to pull up on the left, but the more I flashed the headlights the more he speeded up. With probably the noise in his cab he did not hear the sound of my horn as well. (Of course we must always remember the use of the headlight flash and the sound to the horn is just to let other people know that you are there.)

We now have an instance where a hands free phone can be a life saver, I rang 999, and was put through to the police, stating the position to the young lady over the phone, where she asked me my name and address and what vehicle I was in, I also gave her the vehicle registration number of the truck, there was no name or telephone numbers or logo’s on the truck.

As we approached the bends in the road the door swung wide each time, bearing in mind when the driver turned a left hand bend with the door swinging wide into the road he would have not seen this happen. The police operator is now asking me what landmark I am passing for her to plot the route this truck is possibly using.

We are travelling at 50 mph, I’m keeping as close to the truck as possible, we are now passing through Garboldisham on route to South Lopham where I mentioned to the young lady the roads would become much narrower, and this is where a major incident could happen.

She now tells me a police patrol vehicle has been deployed but it would not be coming from behind it will be coming from the front (Diss direction), and when I see the vehicle I needed to flash my lights to make them aware that this is the truck.

Within minutes a silver Mondeo traffic vehicle is approaching all lights flashing, bearing in mind the truck driver does not realise it’s him they need to speak to, the patrol car passes at speed.

Watching in my rear view mirror, he quickly turns round, passes me by and gets alongside the truck where his lady police officer passenger points to the driver to follow and pull in. With a very good piece of driving, they slow the truck down to under 10 mph, going very slowly through South Lopham and at the next lay-by pulls the truck in.

The truck driver jumps from his cab, the police officer approached him asking why he did not stop as I was trying to draw his attention from behind, the driver replied, ‘I saw him flash his lights a number of times and thought that’s a stupid place to try and pass, so each time I speeded up.’

With that he closed the rear door, the officers received another emergency call, and had to quickly leave the scene telling the driver he was very lucky, and fortunately everything ended safe and well.
But we must remember in our world of corporate health and safety, the driver should have made sure the truck was secure to prevent any serious injury, or the possible chance of him giving rides to unauthorised passengers.

Many companies are now stopping their drivers using hands free phones in cars due to being such a distraction, yes we know passengers talking in cars can do the same thing, but do they know when to shut-up when they see something developing where the driver needs to concentrate even more!!!!!

In the situation I found myself in, TRYING TO MAKE DRIVER AWARE, I was so grateful a phone call could save a life.