Cycling Safety Measures To Be Enforced On HGVs And Lorries In London

Cyclist Safety Measures To Be Enforced In London
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Safety campaigners scored a huge victory on Thursday as it was announced Lorries without safety equipment to protect cyclists and pedestrians are to be banned from travelling through London.

Transport for London (TfL) and local authorities have joined forces to agree a new traffic regulation, which will come into force by the end of the year.

The proposed ban will require every vehicle over 3.5 tonnes to be fitted with side guards to protect cyclists from being dragged under wheels, as well as mirrors to improve a driver's view of cyclists and pedestrians.

Story continues after the slideshow...

Safe Cycling Cities London Could Learn From
Amsterdam, Netherlands(01 of08)
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Biking in Amsterdam is a quintessentially Dutch experience and there is a reason it defends the title as the world's most bicycle-friendly city in the 2013 Copenhagenize Index. Bikes come first. In Amsterdam over 60% of trips are made by bike in the inner city and 38% of trips are made by bike overall in the greater city area. Bicycles are used by all socio-economic groups because of their convenience, Amsterdam's small size, the 400 km of bike paths, the flat terrain, and the arguable inconvenience of driving an automobile. Each bike path (Fietspad) is coloured brown, in order to differentiate it from a footpath. (credit:Copenhagenize Design Co.)
Paris, France(02 of08)
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Paris has left London and New York in the dust over the past six years. The city has steadily increased its network of bicycle paths since the late 1990s. As of 2010 there were 440 km (270 mi) of cycling routes in Paris, including bike paths and bus lanes that had been widened for use by bike riders. Paris launched a system of rental bikes free service called Vélib' in 2007 – there were originally 10,648 bikes available, now, Paris may eventually have 50,000 Vélib' bikes for hire with the main aim being to replace car use in the city for short trips. (credit:Copenhagenize Design Co.)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil(03 of08)
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With the Olympics and World Cup around the corner,Rio de Janeiro is looking to expand its cycle system after putting in tracks along the Copacabana beach in the lead up to the Rio Climate Summit in 1992. The city now has a modest network and to insure greater safety for cyclists is increasing the number of lanes.According to the city municipal planning, which performs bicycle path network expansion, there will be 30km of new bike paths and bike lanes this year, 40km in 2014, 50km in 2015 and 30km in 2016, for a total of 150km, and investments that are expected to reach R$98.65 million. (credit:Copenhagenize Design Co.)
Japan(04 of08)
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Japan is, of course, no stranger to the bicycle. 15% of the population ride bicycles for transport and the national government has a goal of 25%. Some cities have built fully-protected lanes on some of their busiest streets, modelled on the Copenhagen cycle tracks. Japan also has a complex series of cycling laws, which, although being quite difficult to work out, are intended to enhance safety for everyone on the road.
Montreal, Canada (05 of08)
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Two years ago, Montreal embarked on an ambitious $134 million plan to revamp the city’s bike trails and create a more bicycle-friendly atmosphere. It is now North America’s premiere bicycle city. With cycle tracks dating from the late 1980s, Montreal has long been ahead of the curve. The city currently boasts 2,400 miles of trails with plans to expand. Montreal also has the first urban bike-share infrastructure in North America, the Bixi program. (credit:Copenhagenize Design Co.)
Germany(06 of08)
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Many towns and cities throughout Germany have designated bike lanes with more than 70,000 kilometres of cycle routes spanning the country. Munich and Berlin are currently in eighth and eleventh place on in the 2013 Copenhagenize Index. (credit:Copenhagenize Design Co.)
Copenhagen, Denmark(07 of08)
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From an urban design perspective, Copenhagen is second-to-none when it comes to a well-designed and uniform bicycle infrastructure network. 32% of Copenhagen residents are biking to work on a regular basis and the city's pro-bike culture goes so far as to allow you to rent a public bike for free. (credit:Copenhagenize Design Co.)
Dublin, Ireland(08 of08)
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Dubbed 'the Great Bike Hope among Emerging Bicycle Cities', Dublin's incredibly successful bike share programme has been instrumental in reestablishing the bicycle on the urban landscape. The dublinbikes scheme provides 40 public bike stations around the city with 450 bikes available for general public use. (credit:Copenhagenize Design Co.)

CCTV cameras and on-street checks will enforce it.

Mayor Boris Johnson said a "hefty" charge would be levied against those not complying with the new regulation.

London's transport commissioner Sir Peter Hendy said: "London has long led the way in working with the freight industry to drive up standards, especially in terms of greater road safety, better driver training and reduced vehicle emissions.

"TfL will work with the London boroughs to deliver this proposed Safer Lorry Scheme and further demonstrate our commitment to safer roads for all."

HGVs have been involved in a number of fatal accidents with cyclists in recent years in London.

There were 14 cyclist deaths in London last year, nine involving HGVs.

Penny Knight, head of the cycling team at law firm Leigh Day, which represents British Cycling members, said: "These measures will be welcomed. However, it is just a shame that they did not come soon enough to save those cyclists and pedestrians who have died under the wheels of lorries in London.

"We still believe that more needs to be done around the infrastructure of the City to ensure cyclists and pedestrians are safe. No one measure will solve this problem.

"It will be a wholesale re-imagining of what travel should look like in London which will lead to no more innocent lives being lost on our roads."

British Cycling's campaigns manager Martin Key said: "There is a clear link between cyclist deaths, particularly in London, and HGVs. Over 50% of London's cycling deaths last year involved a collision with a lorry.

"TfL is leading the way on sorting this out and today's announcement is a significant step in our campaign to make cycling a more appealing form of transport for millions more people.

"The requirement that all HGVs are fitted with basic safety equipment may sound like an obvious move but the fact is that - despite the equipment being fitted as standard on most newer vehicles - thousands of lorries on the UK's roads are not fit for purpose and are putting cyclists at risk. We hope that local authorities across Britain follow suit and implement these regulations without delay."

German Dector-Vega, London director of cycling group Sustrans, said: "This is a simple but very useful step forward that will place cycle safety at the forefront of the freight industry and although much more needs to be done, it shows what we achieve when we join forces.

"We are convinced this is just the beginning of many more changes to come."