The Times and BBC, amongst others, reported last week on some statistics compiled by the London Road Safety Unit (LRSU) that suggested that female cyclists were at greater risk of being hit and killed by an HGV than their male counterparts.
As you can see from The Times story it was being spun to say that running red lights by male cyclists ensured greater chances of survival on the roads.
I happened to catch the Radio 4 interview with Bill Chidley, editor of London bike messenger fanzine, Moving Target who largely blamed the truck drivers for HGV/cyclist accidents and wouldn't accept that trucks had a whacking great blind-spot down the left-hand side. OK so this is being rectified with the new EU regs on mirrors but as the Department for Transport says: "The replacement of goods vehicles within the European Union is such that the existing population of around 5 million vehicles will not be fully replaced for about 16 years (2023 at the earliest)." Hence the retrofit part of the legislation due to come into force from January next year, although even then anything registered before 2000 will be exempt.
There's more on Moving Target's stance here, but it's basically summed up in this quote: "Therefore anything which raises awareness of this problem is good, especially when the solution is so simple: HGV drivers obeying the Highway Code and the law, by observing before they signal, and again before they manoeuvre."
Equally cyclists have to accept some responsibility and avoid running up the left-hand side of slow-moving trucks. That's not to say that it gives operators carte blanche to ignore their obligations towards road safety and indeed make sure their drivers understand and obey the law, but we all have to work together on this.
After all the bottom line is saving lives and making sure these avoidable deaths no longer happen.
One HGV-cyclist incident is one too many.
As an aside, one solution advocated by Chidley during his time as chair of the London Bicycle Messenger Association was to ban trucks from the Congestion Charging zone during Congestion Charging hours.
We'll leave you to ponder how on earth that could ever be achieved, especially when people like the Green Party are looking to reinforce night-time bans.
Despite all this it's worth noting that Moving Target thinks Ken Livingstone is deeply anti-cyclist. Given the transport industry's general perception of Ken as deeply anti-truck, perhaps there's some common ground after all, centred mainly on loathing for the Mayor.
Comments (4)
The problem with cyclists - and I love 'em believe me - is that there is no training. Most cyclists you see on the road haven't done any training since they took their stabilisers off. The school competence certificate at age 10 hardly prepares you for sharing road space with today's monstrous array of heavy, fast traffic. If we are not to be given proper exclusive lanes, and we can't use the pavements, then surely we need to be taught properly if not because we are a danger then because we are at risk. Drivers also need to be taught about cyclists' habits as part of the test. Many drivers still take cyclists out because they forget to think like a driver as soon as the car is stationary and fling open the door.
Posted by louise | May 4, 2007 2:41 PM
Posted on May 4, 2007 14:41
I think you are a little light on what I actually said. I have consistently called for, and welcome input from the operators and drivers of HGVs. The Freight Transport Association didn't even dignify my polite enquiry with a reply.
As far as cyclists taking responsibility, here's what I said:
'The LBMA accepts that cyclists have a duty to preserve their own lives.'
With all due respect, all the awareness raising has come from cyclists representatives. I painted dead cyclists' names on the road 3 times in London. I have said that cyclists need to be careful around lorries.
It's great that you are giving this some attention. But I am sure you can understand that I am slightly frustrated that your article is coming now, 3 years after we, the cyclists groups, started saying 'hey, there's a problem here'.
Posted by Bill | May 15, 2007 11:59 AM
Posted on May 15, 2007 11:59
"running up the left-hand side of slow-moving trucks"....do you mean where the BIKE LANE is?
Posted by Winston | May 16, 2007 7:48 AM
Posted on May 16, 2007 07:48
"do you mean where the BIKE LANE is?".
Nope, that's a different kettle of fish.
Posted by Dominic | May 16, 2007 10:31 AM
Posted on May 16, 2007 10:31