Tesco delivery drivers have expressed confusion and frustration over the company's safety advice, which has been inconsistently applied following the death of a 79-year-old pensioner last September. Susan Margaret Hofsteede died after being struck by a reversing Tesco van in Bangor, Wales.
Following the incident, Tesco issued new guidance to drivers regarding the use of reversing cameras. Initially, the company stated that vans should not be dispatched if their reversing cameras were not functioning. However, this policy was reportedly reversed within a day due to significant delivery backlogs caused by a large number of vehicles being taken off the road.
Drivers reported that the sudden U-turn on the policy left them feeling disregarded and created a sense of chaos. "A lot of us were really happy that they'd finally seen sense and helped us be safer on the roads. Now, it feels like they've gone back on it and it's a kick in the teeth," one driver stated. The situation was described as a "mess" with "everyone completely confused." Many stores reportedly had to cancel deliveries as vans awaited repairs.
Ms. Hofsteede, a retired welfare rights advisor, died from what was preliminarily determined to be a traumatic brain injury. The van driver involved was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and was later bailed pending further investigation. An inquest into her death is scheduled to take place later this year.
In the month following Ms. Hofsteede's death, Tesco implemented mandatory van maneuvering training for all drivers, which included instructions to "Always wait for the reverse camera to display before reversing the van." This guidance was formalized this week with the policy that vans must not be operated without a working reversing camera.
A Tesco spokesperson confirmed that the company is rolling out new guidance for vehicles with camera issues to be taken out of service until repaired, alongside existing guidelines and training. The company stated it would continue to update colleagues on its plans. An internal source suggested that the initial guidance had been temporarily paused to simplify the reporting process for camera defects, while vehicles with genuine issues would still be removed from service. New instructions have been issued to drivers on safe reversing procedures in the interim.