Cycle safety proposals a bit wobbly

The road freight industry is deeply disappointed by the final recommendations of the Cycling Safety Panel which targets heavy vehicle users while proposing few if any responsibilities for cyclists says the Road Transport Forum Chief Executive Officer Ken Shirley.

“The panel is suggesting that the requirement for all heavy vehicles to have side under-run protection and other equipment including proximity sensors and side and rear cameras should be investigated. However there is a considerable body of overseas research which says the measures being proposed either don’t improve cyclist safety or have a questionable effect.”

“On the other hand, the very sensible suggestions that cyclists should wear high visibility clothing, which would make them more detectable, or that they should be required to ride single file have been rejected, the latter on the grounds that talking to other riders makes cycling a more enjoyable social activity. Riding two abreast and requiring a minimum passing width would cause vehicle drivers to swerve fully into the oncoming lane in many instances, with an obvious risk to themselves, other road users and the cyclists.

“This approach is particularly puzzling as the number of cyclists hospitalised from non-motor vehicle crashes is over three times the number hospitalised from collisions with vehicles, which underscores the need for cyclists to modify their behaviour.”

Mr Shirley says that it was notable that the panel was heavily weighted towards cycling advocates with no representation for heavy vehicle users. “This may explain why the panel’s recommendations for vehicles focus so much on heavy vehicles, when cars are two and a half times more likely to be involved in fatal collisions with cyclists than trucks. Cyclists are also 11 times more likely to suffer serious injury and 18 times more likely to suffer minor injury through a collision with a light vehicle than a truck.”

The Forum and the road freight industry is actively involved in promoting cycling safety with accords with cycling groups and organising demonstrations of how to interact safely for drivers and cyclists, Mr Shirley says. “However it is hard to avoid the conclusion that heavy vehicle owners are being treated as scapegoats in this instance.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media