On 17th August, Typhoon Rumbia battered the coast of the Zhejiang region in Eastern China. The area is prone to tropical storms at this time of year and has already had three this month. Eighteen tropical storms have hit China in total so far this year. August and September are Zhejiang’s typhoon season.
Typhoon Rumbia was causing severe flooding in the region, with intensive downpours and a gale force wind hitting nine on the Beaufort scale.
Extreme weather such as this can be incredibly dangerous for driving conditions, as one Heavy Goods Vehicle driver found out. A traffic camera on the Ningbo-Jinhua Expressway captured some astonishing footage of the semi-trailer lorry making its way down the motorway during the storm.
HGV Accident Footage
In the footage, the driver seems to lose control as the lorry swerves, first to the left then to the right, finally smashing into the concrete crash barrier along the edge of the road. The trailer attached to the back of his vehicle was seen flipping right over the crash barrier, falling over the side of the motorway and into a ravine below. Luckily for the driver, the cabin was pulled apart from the trailer with the force of the swinging load and remained safe on the motorway. Let’s hope he had his HGV insurance in place!
Traffic police arrived on the scene, and they were relieved to report that they found the driver was uninjured. The Heavy Goods Vehicle driver had attempted to take over another lorry on the road but had noticed a small car alongside him at the last minute, so he applied his brakes quickly. The road conditions in the heavy rain meant that his tyres stood little chance of gripping the surface securely. The lorry was forced into an uncontrolled skid across the watery tarmac.
Insurance
It doesn’t take a tropical storm to cause poor road conditions, and any number of incidents or cicumstances can cause a road traffic accident. In fact, HGVs in the UK are seven times more likely to be involved in road traffic accidents than cars. Make sure you have the right coverage with your HGV insurance with help from sites such as https://www.quotemetoday.co.uk/hgv-insurance
Luckily, the Ningbo-Jinhua accident only caused a road closure for a few hours, and traffic resumed shortly afterward.
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