‘HGV blind spot nearly cost me my life’ – survivor of road collision calls for renewed focus on safety.

Jaki was a passenger in a car travelling north on the M4 in Wiltshire when it was struck three times by a left-hand drive lorry, with the HGV driver failing to see the vehicle overtaking him, colliding with it a number of times as he tried to correct his steering.

Witnesses reported seeing Jaki “thrown around like a rag doll” as the car careered across the busy carriageway, with Jaki bearing the brunt of the injuries after the HGV hit the passenger side of the car.

Miraculously, Jaki and the car driver survived, and were helped by passing motorists. Jaki had to be cut out of the vehicle by firefighters after the incident in June 2017.

Jaki suffered a catalogue of injuries, including injuries to her nose and hip that have required a number of operations over several years. Jaki, now 60, has also been warned that she faces a hip replacement.

She was also severely traumatised by the collision and continues to avoid travelling on motorways, even changing jobs so she could avoid the M4 on her commute. Jaki is still also distressed by flashes of white light – white was the colour of the HGV which crashed into the car.

While National Highways public awareness campaigns continue to run, highlighting the need for motorists to be mindful of blind spots experienced by HGV drivers, Jaki believes there should also be a focus on the need for the safest possible practices by lorries as well.

“It really makes me angry when you see these campaigns that say HGVs have ‘blind spots’ – it’s not good enough to just say that. Cars often can’t help being alongside an HGV, and they shouldn’t have to feel unsafe because of that,” says Jaki, from Wiltshire.

“They need to have extended mirrors fitted if they can’t see the road properly, many HGVs already do, but a lot still don’t, especially foreign ones.

“This is putting other road users at risk and is exactly what happened in my situation, where the driver admitted he didn’t see us. We could so easily have been killed, and even now, years later, I am still suffering the effects of what happened, both physically and mentally.

“Absolutely, car drivers need to take care around HGVs – but that works the other way too. HGV drivers need to do everything they can and take every possible precaution to ensure other people on the road are safe. They are such massive presences on the motorways and A roads, and a lot of HGV drivers think the road is theirs. I would urge them to lose this attitude and put safety first.”

Jaki has endured years of hospital visits and therapies since the collision, which occurred when she and her friend were travelling from Westbury to the Swindon Designer Outlet to buy an outfit for a wedding.

Her last round of surgery was in 2023, and she will most likely face a hip replacement within the next five years.

“The impact of what happened has not gone away, and I don’t know that it ever will. My physical injuries are still affecting me, I can’t walk like I used to, and I’m probably going to need a hip replacement, which is an awful thought,” says Jaki.

“Psychologically, it’s always there. People think that you can move on and forget about it, but it’s not like that. I’ve had therapies which have helped, but still can’t travel on motorways without a lot of distress and often have to miss work nights out with my team because I’d have to use the motorway to get home. It has affected my life in so many ways.”

Jaki was supported in securing a settlement by serious injury specialists at Slater and Gordon, with Senior Associate Gulderen Salih – who Jaki has hailed as being “absolutely amazing” – pursuing her claim and enabling Jaki to access bespoke rehabilitation.

“Jaki was certainly fortunate to survive this crash, but the physical and mental consequences have impacted her life in every way possible. This has been a hugely traumatic experience for Jaki, and with her facing yet more surgery and continuing to battle the profound psychological effects, sadly this continues still,” says Gulderen.

“We have been able to support her in accessing the highest standards of treatment and rehabilitation since we got involved in her claim, and her settlement makes provision for that to continue. She has made some great progress, overcoming some significant challenges along the way, and she should be very proud of herself.

“Furthermore, we very much support Jaki’s calls for road safety – as a firm, we are committed to advocating for the safety of all road users and we all have our roles to play in this.”