For some time, I have been calling for improved satellite navigation systems to be used in large, commercial vehicles.

As the use of sat nav has increased, we have seen more and more instances of lorries being sent down narrow roads, getting stuck under bridges, damaging buildings and creating unnecessary traffic, congestion and delay.

In Walkern earlier this year, a driver caused hours of traffic chaos by blindly following his sat nav and getting his lorry wedged in a narrow lane.

These vehicles are the bane of the lives of people living in both rural and residential communities which do not have roads suitable for this type of vehicle. There are instances of these situations across the county.

I wrote to various freight organisations and the Local Government Association (LGA) promoting the use of the right kind of commercial sat nav for oversized vehicles, and also had some positive discussions with major sat nav providers who are keen to ensure that their maps are as up to date as possible.

I was therefore delighted to read this week about the National Digital Road Map, produced by the Ordnance Survey, covering 200,000 miles of roads and funded with £3 million from the Department for Transport, which will display the dimensions and accessibility of every street and highway in England and Wales.

I also welcome and support the LGA’s stance that councils need powers to issue on-the-spot penalties to lorry drivers who ignore weight restrictions.

I hope these measures serve to keep traffic moving, reduce the time and money wasted by businesses when drivers take a wrong turn, and put an end to the blight of lorries getting stuck in places where they shouldn’t be.

Cllr Terry Douris, cabinet member for highways at Hertfordshire County Council