In an effort to reduce the number of accidents and protect cyclists, construction trucks driving through the capital may be banned from taking left hand turns…
Following a number of fatal collisions, the capital is considering drastic measures to keep cyclists safe.
Under the plans construction lorries could be prevented from taking left hand turns and would instead be required to use special routes to minimise the number of left turns when making deliveries to sites.
The measures are aimed at preventing the number of accidents caused due to poor visuals when large construction vehicles turn left.
Other measures that could be enacted include installing larger windows on the side of vehicles to reduce the size of the blind spots faced by trucks and lorries, as well as the implementation of sideguards to prevent cyclists from being dragged beneath the vehicle if a collision did occur.
The Mayor of London’s office said: “Many of the most dangerous vehicles are construction-related.
“For future major construction projects, GLA planning powers will be used to strictly prescribe the routes which HGVs serving them can follow – requiring, for instance, that they avoid a road heavily used by cyclists or take a route that minimises the number of left turns, the most dangerous manoeuvre.
“Discussions with the London boroughs and the construction industry have already started to ensure that this happens as fast as possible.”
Greater London already has a number of measures in place to protect cyclists and pedestrians and to reduce the number of road traffic accidents. Under the “Safer Lorry Scheme” HGVs without safety equipment are banned in the capital. These new measures aim to reduce the number of accidents even further.
Mayor Boris Johnson said: “We are ahead of any other part of the UK in closing the legal loopholes that allowed many HGVs to operate without basic safety equipment, and I am delighted that over the 18 months since we announced the Safer Lorry Scheme the vast majority of operators have got the message and fitted safety equipment to their vehicles in anticipation of the ban.
“We have, from this morning, begun vigorous enforcement action against the laggards.
“I announce today that I propose to require further safety modifications to all HGVs in London, including the retrofitting of bigger side windows to further reduce the driver blind spots that contribute to so many tragic accidents.”
The rules are expected to come into force next April and will see all vehicles involved in construction works for Transport for London or Crossrail install the safety measures.