Register now  |  Forgotten password?

Day of action for No More Lethal Lorries campaign

ShareThis

A bit of a London bias in today’s blog entry but we are hoping that many of our readers will lend their signature to London Cycling Campaign’s (LCC) No More Lethal Lorries petition, of which today is the official day of action.

The LCC aims to draw attention to the petition, which is seeking initially to get London Borough Councils to give their lorry drivers ongoing cycle-awareness training, including on-bike experience.

Volunteers needed to collect signatures

We are encouraging readers to sign up to the petition here but it is also worth noting that today LLC volunteers will be out and about on busy cycle routes in Central London to get cyclists to sign the No More Lethal Lorries petition.

The volunteers will be positioned in these spots during the early morning rush hours of 7.30-10am and evening rush hours of 4-7pm. If there are any cyclists out and about in any of the spots on the Google map, the LCC would welcome help in collecting signatures alongside its volunteers.

Nearly 50% of cycle deaths are caused by lorries

From our own previous report on lorry related cycling fatalities in London, we know that despite being only 5% of London traffic, lorries are involved in nearly half of all cyclist fatalities.

LCC Lorry campaigner Charlie Lloyd said: “Too many cyclists have died or been terribly injured already in 2011, and all cyclists are being asked to contribute to the effort to prevent further casualties.

“Councils must take the lead in providing cycle training for all their HGV drivers straightaway, and we hope that one day cycle training will be mandatory for all London lorry drivers.”

The LCC’s campaign has already resulted in five London boroughs giving cycle training to their lorry drivers, and it is hoped that thousands of more signatures will persuade other councils to follow suit.

The LLC is also hosting drinks at The Perseverance pub in Lamb’s Conduit Street from 7.30pm at the end of the signature collecting.

The LLC has set out a five point plan of action as part of its petition

1 Cyclist-awareness training for drivers

All city lorry drivers should be have ongoing cycle-awareness training, including on-bike experience.

2 Drivers must take more responsibility

Authorities must recognise driver responsibility for doing everything practical to reduce risks. Blaming a ‘blind spot’ should be an admission of guilt.

3 Safer design for London lorries

Lorries designed for off-road use should be taken off city streets. The best mirrors, cameras and sensors should be fitted as standard.

4 Higher standards from lorry operators

Quality-assurance schemes such as London’s Freight Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) should be mandatory, and the police encouraged to crack down on rogue operators.

5 More responsible procurement

Companies must only buy haulage services from reputable firms, with government taking a lead in encouraging best practice.

Photo above used with courtesy from Ben Broomfield

See Also:

Eilidh Cairns family forces through lorry safety review
Lorry drivers deliver cycling safety message

from Going Going Bike – Auctions, Bike News, Cycle Stuff

Grab the GGB Weekly Newsletter

and we will send you our second hand bike buying guide.