Last week, at an infant approval hearing, a judge at the Royal Court of Justice approved a settlement for 5 of my clients, a widow and her four children. Their husband and father was tragically killed in a road traffic accident. He was riding his motor bike on his way to work when a lorry turning left at a junction knocked him over.
Unfortunately this type of accident is all too common. Cyclist and bikers are at risk on our roads. The Times reports that in the past decade twice as many cyclists have been killed on our roads as British soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. The rate of fatalities for cyclists is higher in Britain than in Germany, Denmark or The Netherlands.
Lorries form a particular threat. They cause 20% of cyclist fatalities but make up only 5% of the vehicles on the road. The wing mirrors fitted on HGV vehicles do not provide an adequate view and blind spots exist.
The Times has launched a city cycle safety campaign after one of their journalists suffered serious head injuries in a cycling accident. They make a number of recommendations including:
- Trucks entering city centres to be fitted with sensors, audible truck turning alarms, extra mirrors and safety bars to prevent cyclists from being thrown under the wheels.
- Priority traffic lights for cyclists
- Mirrors fitted at dangerous junctions to give drivers of large vehicles a better view of cyclists.
- Speed limits reduced to 20mph in areas where there are no cycle lanes.
Of course safety awareness for cyclists should not just be confined to the city. Are these suggestions sensible and proportionate responses to an under recognised but significant problem or an unnecessary increase to the amount of heath and safety regulation affecting commercial vehicles?
