New campaign to improve cyclist safety

Cyclists in London and Manchester are being encouraged to ‘hang back’ from lorries in a newly launched safety campaign film.

The THINK! campaign has been developed after statistics showed last year a fifth of crashes where cyclists were killed involved HGVs.

The campaign will also target HGV drivers through partnership activity with the Freight Transport Association (FTA) and will be supported by tips for car drivers in general to raise awareness of cycle safety on the roads.

Transport Minister Andrew Jones said: “We are investing £300 million over the next four years to help make Britain a cycling nation. Reducing the number of cyclists killed on our roads is a key priority. Since 2010 the number has decreased to its lowest level. This campaign will raise awareness amongst urban cyclists and help make our roads safer for those on two wheels.”

Christopher Snelling, FTA head of National and Regional Policy, added: “We need to make our busy urban roads as safe as possible for all users and it’s important that both HGV drivers and cyclists understand the risks created by sharing the limited road space and know what steps they can take to minimise them.

“This Department for Transport (DfT) campaign highlights one of the key danger zones – the blind spot at the front left of a HGV. New design innovations such as transparent cab doors all have a part to play in improving safety in the long term but increased awareness can have immediate impact. FTA encourages all HGV drivers and cyclists to visit the campaign website to find out more about this important message.”

Caroline Russell, the Green Party’s Transport spokesperson, has questioned the campaign film.

She said: “"The government quite clearly shows they have not got the first idea about how to reduce danger for people cycling. Their film shows an HGV lorry overtake riskily at a junction and turn left in a classic left hook crash. Yet their message is a victim blaming call for the cyclist to stay back.

"I never filter to the left of lorries in stationary or heavy traffic but frequently find I am overtaken by lorries who put me in their blind spot by doing so. The message should have been directed at the lorry drivers to ask them to stay back from people cycling to avoid them being exposed to the risk of causing a crushing collision.

"Until we adopt a road danger reduction approach to keeping people safe on our streets, the miserable toll of death and injury on our streets will continue."