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Thousands of lorries could be banned from London for cyclist safety Thousands of lorries to be banned from London for cyclist safety
(about 3 hours later)
Thousands of lorries could be banned from London under plans to make the capital’s roads safer for cyclists. Tens of thousands of lorries with poor visibility will be banned from London’s roads within four years to better protect cyclists and pedestrians, the city’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, has announced.
The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, wants to introduce a rating system from zero to five stars for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) based on the level of vision the driver has from the cab. Road safety campaigners have long called for action against some types of lorry, especially high-wheeled construction trucks, which have significant blindspots.
The 35,000 zero-star rated HGVs currently operating in the capital would be banned by January 2020 if Khan’s proposals are implemented. Lorries are involved in more than half the cycling deaths on London’s roads, and more than a fifth of pedestrian deaths, despite making up only 4% of motor traffic.
Only those lorries with a rating of at least three stars would be allowed on London’s roads by 2024. Khan said such “bold action” was needed to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians but the Road Haulage Association (RHA) accused the mayor of “demonising lorries”. Khan’s plans, immediately welcomed by cycling groups, will give construction trucks and other HGVs a star-based safety rating from zero to five, based on the amount of vision the driver has.
Nine cyclists and 66 pedestrians were killed in the capital last year, according to Transport for London (TfL). By January 2020, those with a zero rating – primarily construction trucks with a high cab and big clearance under the wheels – will be banned. By 2024, only trucks rated three stars – “good” – or above will be allowed in the city.
The mayor’s office said that over the past two years HGVs were involved in 23% of pedestrian deaths and 58% of cyclist deaths in London, despite accounting for just 4% of the miles driven in the city. From the next financial year, Transport for London (TfL) and the Greater London Authority will not sign any contracts that involve the use of zero-starred trucks.
TfL and the Greater London Authority would “lead by example” and ensure all HGVs used in their supply chains had good all-round visibility from the driver’s cab. Khan’s office said there were currently around 35,000 zero-rated trucks operating in London, and that over the past three years they had been involved in about 70% of the cyclist deaths involving HGVs.
Khan said the scheme was the first of its kind in the world and would result in many lorries being upgraded before the ban came into place. Overall, lorries were connected to 58% of cycling deaths in 2014 and 2015, and 22.5% of pedestrian deaths.
He said: “I’m not prepared to stand by and let dangerous lorries continue to cause further heartbreak and tragedy on London’s roads. Khan said the safety evidence was clear, and he felt obliged to “take bold action” to better protect cyclists and pedestrians. “I’m not prepared to stand by and let dangerous lorries continue to cause further heartbreak and tragedy on London’s roads,” he said.
“The evidence is clear: HGVs have been directly involved in over half of cycling fatalities over the last two years, and we must take bold action to make our roads safer for both cyclists and pedestrians. “Our groundbreaking direct vision standard will be the first of its kind in the world, directly addressing the issue of lethal driver blindspots. I’m also proud that TfL will lead by example and will not use any zero-star lorries in its supply chain from the new financial year.”
“I’m determined to ensure the most dangerous zero-star rated lorries are removed from our roads completely by 2020.” A significant proportion of cyclist deaths involving lorries in London happen when the truck turns left across the bike, with the driver unable to properly see anything in a large area around around the truck, or does not properly check all their mirrors.
But the RHA’s chief executive, Richard Burnett, said the “imposition of unnecessary rules on haulage firms is unfair”. Safety campaigns urge cyclists to stay away from the near side of lorries. However, bike lanes tend to filter cycle traffic by the kerb, and a number of deaths have happened when trucks have overtaken cyclists before turning across them.
He added: “Demonising lorries, which keep the economy and shops going, is unfair. Lorries, including construction vehicles, play a vital part in the economic life of London. Without them the capital’s businesses would grind to a standstill. The move was welcomed by the London Cycling campaign. “Pedestrians, cyclists and drivers and operators of HGVs all stand to gain if modern designs with minimal blindspots become the norm for on-street use – no one wants fatalities and life-changing injuries to continue to happen,” said Tom Bogdanowicz, its senior policy manager.
However the Road Haulage Association said the plans were unfair. Its chief executive, Richard Burnett, said: “Lorries, including construction vehicles, play a vital part in the economic life of London. Without them the capital’s businesses would grind to a standstill.
“We want to bring balance to the argument. We’re not convinced these measures are the solution. Improved visibility isn’t going to sort the problem alone.”“We want to bring balance to the argument. We’re not convinced these measures are the solution. Improved visibility isn’t going to sort the problem alone.”
The London Cycling Campaign (LCC) described a TfL statistic that 18% of the lorries on London streets are zero-star rated as “grim”. The organisation welcomed the steps to cut the number of unsafe lorries on the road. Construction trucks are seen as a particular safety issue. A 2013 study commissioned by TfL found lorries carrying materials to and from building sites were disproportionately responsible for cyclist deaths, in part also a factor of rushed delivery times and a lack of proper care about road safety within the construction industry.
The LCC’s senior policy and development officer, Tom Bogdanowicz, said: “Pedestrians, cyclists and drivers and operators of HGVs all stand to gain if modern designs with minimal blind spots become the norm for on-street use – no one wants fatalities and life-changing injuries to continue to happen.” A series of organisations have sought to design lorries with significantly better surrounding visibility. The European parliament has passed a law obliging the use of such trucks, although the new standards will not come into force until 2022.