Tesco has begun removing delivery vans from UK roads after a 79-year-old woman was killed when a van reversed into her. The supermarket told staff on July 13 that all vans must have working reversing cameras, but the policy was modified a day later after it emerged that many vehicles lacked functional cameras.
Policy change after fatal accident
Susan Hofsteede, 79, died in Bangor, north Wales, on September 29 last year. She was walking up Garth Hill when a Tesco delivery driver reversed up the hill and hit her.
Tesco's initial guidance required drivers to take vans with defective cameras off the road immediately. However, this was adjusted when the supermarket realised how many vehicles were affected. The fleet consists of approximately 5,500 delivery vans across the UK, and the number with faulty cameras remains unclear.
Driver concerns and existing guidance
An anonymous delivery driver told Tesco's updated policy was welcome but noted that many vans have cameras that are "either blank or they flicker and aren't usable". He said this makes reversing less safe and could cause crashes, especially on tight or busy roads.
The driver expressed concerns about liability: "So say I have an unfortunate accident tomorrow and my van doesn't have a working camera, I've been told by Tesco to take it out but policy and my training says I shouldn't. I could get into serious problems with the police because I've driven a van my own employer says in written training and policy shouldn't be driven."
He added: "The current training says 'always wait for the reverse camera to display before reversing the van' and current guidelines are 'vehicles need to be taken off the road if the reverse camera is found to be defective'. But the actual direction from head office is that vans with defective cameras can be returned to service."
Tesco's official response
A Tesco spokesperson said: "Alongside the clear guidelines and training we have in place to support our colleagues when making home deliveries, we are rolling out new guidance that vehicles with camera issues should be taken out of service until they are repaired. We will keep colleagues updated as our plans progress."
The supermarket's official guidance to drivers states: "Many incidents happen because drivers are too busy focusing on something they can see in one mirror, like a parked car, only to then hit an object that was visible in another mirror. These incidents could be avoided just by checking both mirrors and the reversing camera."
It also says: "Always wait for the reverse camera to display before reversing the van."
