A MAJOR initiative to cut down on the numbers of cars being side-swiped by lorries was launched at a Kent lorry park.

Road safety minister Jim Fitzpatrick paid a visit to the Channel Tunnel Lorry Park, off junction 10 at Ashford, on Weednesday to distribute “Fresnel lenses” to truckers.

These devices are mounted onto the passenger window to give lorry drivers a wider field of vision.

All trucks have a blind spot on the passenger side which can cause cars alongside to disappear from the driver’s view.

This is a particular problem for left-hand drive lorries from the continent travelling in the UK when they change motorway lanes to overtake.

A trial of Fresnel lenses revealed a 59 per cent reduction in accidents involving lorries pulling out and hitting cars side-on, and Wednesday's event was the start of a UK-wide launch.

The Highways Agency will now distribute 90,000 lenses, targeting major ports across the UK and France.

The initial trial saw 40,000 Fresnel lenses distributed to truckers entering the UK across the Dover Straits.