5: Stop the Killing by HGVs

Ban trucks with blind spots by making safety equipment mandatory and strictly enforce current truck-safety regulations, to reduce levels of illegally dangerous trucks down from estimated 30% to less than 1%.

HGVs are responsible for 15% of pedestrians killed on our roads[1][2] and 19% cyclist deaths across the UK, rising to over 50% of the cyclist fatalities in London. However HGVs make up just 5% of traffic [3].

It is not safe for HGVs with blind spots to share the roads with pedestrians and cyclists and priority must be given to the safety of vulnerable road users [5]. Government must legislate to make safety equipment to eliminate blind spots mandatory on all HGVs.

At the same time one pilot project by the Metropolitan Police found two thirds of targeted trucks stopped were driven illegally [6]. Sustained enforcement is needed to bring the levels of HGVs flouting the law to less than 1%, down from an estimated 30% currently.

Tighter rules on HGVs and proper enforcement is needed so that rules designed to keep vulnerable road users safe can be effective.

 

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/ras40-reported-accidents-vehicles-and-casualties
[2] https://www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/pedestrian-fatalities-in-london.pdf
[3] Department for Transport – Facts on Cycling Safety, December 2013 
[4] http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3991378.ece
[5] http://www.seemesaveme.com/
[6] http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3966743.ece

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