Make Lorries safer for London cyclists – or face fines!

Logistic companies which have HGV’s operational in London have but a year to make their lorries safer for cyclists in the capital. Failure to do so will mean facing being fined for vehicles which do not act in accordance with the new regulations.
 
Mayor Sadiq Khan and Transport for London (TfL) and London Councils, which represents the cities local authorities, intend to introduce these new requirements. A new Direct Vision Standard (DVS) requires all lorries over 12 tonnes gross vehicle weight to require a safety permit to enter or operate in London.

Businesses that fail to meet the terms or do not introduce other safety features, will be fined £550 under the new requirements.

The TfL states “Big lorries are disproportionately involved in fatal collisions. Whilst they account for just four per cent of the overall miles driven in the capital, between 2015 and 2017, HGVs were involved in 63 per cent of fatal collisions involving cyclists and 25 per cent involving pedestrians.”

In response to these shocking statistics, the TfL’s new Direct Vision Standard rates lorries, over 12 tonnes, from zero (lowest) to five (highest) stars. TfL says “HGVs will need to meet a minimum ‘one-star’ rating by the time enforcement begins to enable them to operate in London, or will need to fit ‘Safe System’ measures to improve the vehicle’s safety.” The ‘Safe System’ includes both camera and audio alert systems and sensors to make the driver more aware of the proximity of walkers or cyclists, eliminating lorry cab blind spots and reducing road danger.

The new standard is the first call to action in making all lorries in London suitable for urban conditions and spots to reduce road danger. As of the 30th October 2019, the scheme has gone live and operators now have exactly 12 months to upgrade their fleets, helping make city streets much safer for people, walking and cycling.

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