Road safety and HGVs - help needed

[ededwards]

I picked this up elsewhere but thought that it was worth highlighting

A message from Kate Cairns:

Two years ago on Thursday 5th February 2009 my sister Eilidh, was run down by a tipper lorry in Notting Hill Gate whilst cycling to work. She died 2 hours later. She was 30. She was a strong experienced cyclist, commuting a 20mile round trip daily.

The coroner concluded that it was more likely than not Eilidh was ahead of the lorry, that she was available to be seen by the driver, and that the front offside bumper of the lorry made contact with the rear wheel of the cycle, causing it to fall and Eilidh to be caught up in the wheels.

Last year the driver pleaded guilty to driving with uncorrected defective vision and was given 3 points and a £200 fine. He said he did not see her. He is still driving his truck.

Heavy Goods Vehicles count for 45% of all London cyclist deaths but make up only 5% of road traffic. Across Europe 4000 people, mostly unprotected road users such as cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians are killed each because of HGV blind spots.

Our local Member of European Parliament is proposing a change to EU legislation to have HGVs fitted with sensors and cameras to remove their blind spots with Written Declaration 81.

We have a ready-made letter, which is translated, along with the actual WD, into all 23 languages across the EU.

1. PLEASE email the letter to ALL of your MEPs ASAP. It will take less than 2 minutes. We have a link to the letter, and to your MEPs.*

In order to be effective this declaration needs to be signed by half of the 736 MEPs. There are only 72 MEPs in the UK.
2. PLEASE forward this email to as many contacts as possible far and wide across Europe.
*Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania,
Slovenia, Finland, Sweden.

The WD lapses in less than 2 weeks on Wed 16th Feb. Please act swiftly.

If you want to do more:

3. PLEASE come to Strasbourg for 15th and/or 16th Feb to lobby MEPs as they go into the session.

We are taking Eurostar on Monday 14th Feb, returning Wednesday 16th Feb.

4. PLEASE come to Hyde Park Corner 11.30-12.30 on Monday 14th Feb, for a media event, before we leave for Strasbourg

All the links are here http://www.eilidhcairns.com/campaign

We really appreciate 3 minutes of your time to do 1 and 2. It can help save lives. Lives that are cherished and sorely lost.

Apologies for any cross-posting.

Kate Cairns

I understand that it can also be retweeted http://twitter.com/#!/buro9/status/33413612382982144

Help is especially needed throughout Europe, UK MEPs alone cannot do this. So if you're on one of the European forums please let people know.

 

[REKIBorter]

Where I work we had a driver that had a much higher than average accident rate. Nothing serious just dings and dents. He was made to do a safe driving course where they discovered his eyesite was very bad. Turned out he was also diabetic as well.

Frightening stuff.

 

[legrandefromage]

A girl was killed in very similar circumstances in St.Ives, Cambs.

She was stationary waiting for the lights, ahead of a large HGV, HGV turned left, dragged her under the trucks wheels. Driver got away points and a fine.

 

[Easy_Rider]

This post springs to mind http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=75525

 

[silverclaws]

Bikes in heavy traffic that include HGV's, need one of these ;

http://mendozasoffroad.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=18&products_id=423

On a whippy pole, like this ;

http://www.alpinesandtoys.com/servlet/the-351/tribal-whips-whip-buggy/Detail

The onus is on us to protect ourselves against others, for sure the sloth like dinosaur that the law is as usual leaves it all too late.

But one wonders, is that because those that make and administer the law have no experience of the difficulties faced by others.

 

[Simplex]

05:30 , spring , dark , I'm pedalling to work on a deserted A49 just south of Leominster. A large tanker pulls up next to me, matches my speed and then proceeds to drift left and forces me off the road into the ditch. King of the road.

In another incident , I was parked in a layby and a truck reversed straight into me as I was in his blind spot. Here a camera may have been useful to the driver.

I think educating people of the hazards around HGV's is probably more effective.