Cyclists urged to hang back from lorries to cut the number of crashes and improve cycling safety.
Cyclists in London and Manchester are being encouraged to ‘hang back’ from lorries in a safety campaign launched today (26 September 2016) by Road Safety Minister Andrew Jones to reduce the number of deaths.
Riding a bike is very safe, and is greener, healthier and more sustainable than other forms of transport but cutting the number of accidents is our top priority.
The THINK! campaign has been developed after statistics showed last year a fifth of crashes where cyclists were killed involved HGVs.
A large proportion of deaths happen when a cyclist is at the front left of the truck, and almost a third of all crashes between cyclists and HGVs happen when the lorry is turning left.
Transport Minister Andrew Jones said:
We are investing £300 million over the next 4 years to help make Britain a cycling nation.
Reducing the number of cyclists killed on our roads is a key priority. Since 2010 the number has decreased to its lowest level.
This campaign will raise awareness amongst urban cyclists and help make our roads safer for those on 2 wheels.
The campaign film entitled ‘Things you shouldn’t get caught between’, as well as posters, carry the message: ‘Don’t get caught between a lorry and a left turn. Hang back’.