Photo shows a modern Direct Vision lorry with minimal blind spots (more details here)
Leading representatives of the construction industry have joined the calls from London Cycling Campaign and the London Assembly for reduced road danger.
Following the Assembly motion on lorry danger and the LCC’s petition to the Mayor , the Construction Industry Cycling Commission has published a 10 point manifesto of action that it says will help reduce road danger to all road users. The CICC manifesto was developed based on key findings from CICC-commissioned research.
CICC 10 POINT MANIFESTO TO TACKLE ROAD SAFETY CHALLENGES
1. For all property developers and contractors to recognise that health and safety on the road is as important as it is on site
2. For cycle safety to be part of the Considerate Constructors’ accreditation, ensuring that all lorries used on sites have the requisite safety features, and that drivers are properly trained
3. For the industry – large and small organisations – to adopt the CLOCS standard as a default requirement on all construction schemes in London and other major cities, and wherever significant interaction between HGVs and cyclists can be expected
4. For property developers to use hoarding and wraps of new developments to deploy helpful safety advice for cyclists and drivers
5. For investment in safer vehicles to be made ahead of regulation, such as direct vision cabs, skirts, and specific safety standards and equipment
6. For the construction industry to fast-track discussion and action around changes to vehicle safety, which might include the retrofitting of older vehicles and retiming of journeys to avoid morning peak hours
7. For design professionals to be better trained in the design and planning of safer environments for vulnerable road users
8. For the construction industry to support training for all road users
9. For the construction industry to support the campaign for greater separation between cyclists and HGVs in time and/or space at junctions and on links, and helping to disseminate information on primary routes used by HGVs
10. For the construction industry to support more detailed research to understand the circumstances surrounding lorry/cyclist collisions to identify the root cause of injuries, fatalities and near misses
The Commission calls for contractors, sub-contractors, developers, planners, highway engineers and designers to submit evidence (from best practice to significant failings) to form the basis of a report to illustrate how the industry specifically can both save and enhance lives.
The CICC calls on members of the construction industry to follow the manifesto recommendations
The manifesto has been developed based on key findings from CICC-commissioned research with transport planning consultancy, Phil Jones Associates and TMS Consultancy Ltd (see PDF). With an initial focus on London, key research findings revealed that:
Whilst HGVs only account for 3.5% of traffic across London, they are involved in 57% of crashes in which a cyclist has been killed (2007 – 2014). Many of those accidents are with HGVs involved in construction activities