SUPPORT for banning trucks overtaking on the A34 to combat crashes and congestion was growing last night.

A trial ban on HGVs using the outside lane has been in place on a short section of the road for more than a year.

But Didcot county councillor Bill Service – himself a former lorry driver – wants it extended from the M4 through to the M40.

He says overtaking trucks cause traffic to slow, frustration to boil over and ultimately accidents to happen.

Mr Service said: “One brake light going on causes the concertina effect, everything backs up, someone doesn’t see it and then finds themselves swerving to avoid a collision.”

The Conservative councillor, who is now a supervisor for the RAF, said as a former driver himself he understood the pressure on hauliers.

“There are drivers under pressure from their employers to get the job done as quickly as possible or they are picking something up from a factory that closes at 3pm.”

He added: “I understand the hauliers’ point of view, but the safety of people is paramount.”

Since March 2010, an overtaking restriction, which is in place between 6am and 8pm each day, has banned vehicles weighing 7.5 tonnes and over from using the outside lane on a mile-long northbound stretch near East Ilsley.

Signs at the side of the A34 at Gore Hill direct heavy vehicles to remain in the inside lane.

Accident records show there were 26 accidents on the northbound stretch, including one fatal, between 2006 and 2009.

The Highways Agency imposed the ban to tackle congestion and accidents and is now assessing its impact.

Similar successful schemes on the M42 in the West Midlands and the A14 in Northamptonshire have been made permanent. Highways Agency spokesman James Wright said: “We’re about 12 months into an 18 month experimental traffic order.

“Safety is a part of it but a bigger part is congestion.

“Spot checks have shown there has been about 95 per cent compliance.”

He said it was possible the order could be used on other short stretches, but would be impractical on longer sections of road.

“You could get a whole string of HGVs stuck behind one very slow moving vehicle,” he said.

Mr Service said at the very least the ban should apply to the sections around busy interchanges near Didcot, Abingdon and Oxford.

Carterton-based haulier Mandy King said she was not opposed to limiting lorries to the inside lane.

But she said it would only work if HGV drivers kept their pace up.

“There are a few people you sit behind at 50mph for ages and to then try to overtake them it is difficult when you are limited to 56mph.”