Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect on highway surfaces and street furniture, such as roundabouts, of the use of longer semi-trailers for articulated goods vehicles.

We asked the trial evaluators to assess all incidents including reported damage only events. The damage-only incidents logged on the trial are summarised in the annual report. The majority of the events involved only minor damage. We have no record of incidents involving longer semi-trailers (LSTs) regularly causing significant damage to street furniture or buildings.

LSTs operate within existing weight restrictions and have reduced the number of journeys and therefore are unlikely to have had any effect on highway surfaces through extra overall or axle weight. LSTs are required to meet current Construction and Use turning circle requirements by physical tests being conducted and witnessed by Vehicle Certification Agency engineers. During these witness test the trailers demonstrate less tyre side scrub and less apparent damage to the test surface.