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The drop in activity here is a good thing (fewer fatal accidents!) but the noise made by all members of the cycling community and related organisations has made an impact. i received an email several days ago from TFL which shows it hasn't been dropped:
It is very heartening to hear of your support for the measures we have put in place to promote cycling safety. We intend to make more use of the Cycling :http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/8966.aspx, pages of TfL’s website, to provide regular updates on cycling safety messages and to provide links to other organisations’ activities on the community pages.
I regret that it will not be possible for someone from the Cycling Centre of Excellence team to have a meeting with you to discuss cycling campaigns. I am sure you will appreciate that we receive a large number of emails and letters on cycling issues, and though we would like to meet them, it would be impossible to do so.
Our Cycle Centre of Excellence attend and support meetings with cycling groups such as LCC, RoadPeace and the City of London Road Safety Forum.
I am happy to confirm that the cyclist/lorry driver double sided leaflet are about to be distributed again. The stickers and 'Fresnal Lens' campaigns are ongoing, and the Freight Operator Recognition Scheme expect to run a 'Fresnal Lens' campaign before Christmas 2008; additional lenses have been ordered and they are awaiting delivery.
In addition to the above, we are targeting cyclist awareness in the next few weeks with a re-run of the 'dothetest' campaign plus extra web based materials, to coincide with the clocks changing.
Thank you once again for your interest and your concerns.
Cyrilene Isaac
Customer Service Advisor
London Streets[
urface Transport CommunicationsTransport for London
All good!
We also have 13 Ghost bikes at Armourtex, they have been outstanding in their assistance and are currently experimenting with different ways to give the entire bike a hi-quality finish.
But we could do with some assistance. Can you pm me if you have
1 - Spare time during the day where you can go to Armourtex and strip/clean up some of the bikes
2 - Access to a power washer with the means to get it to ArmourtexOur fall back plan is to seperate the metal from the non-metal parts - powder coat the metal and wet finish the non metal. then re-assemble.
hence the assistance above..On the Ghost bike tip i received a very touching email from the girlfriend of a man killed this year, her request was to have a single sentence written on his bike that reminded her of their last few days together:
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away"
!
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Anyone seen the booklet that is being handed out? It can be read from either end - 'Ignorant Lorry Drivers' one end and 'Ignorant Cyclists' the other. Not a bad start IMHO.
This booklet's basic concept is about seven or eight years old. They've used it time and time again. It's not at all bad, although there are some issues with the wording IIRC. I'd have to dig one out to look at whether they've updated anything.
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Interesting film about big trucks on our streets
YouTube - 44 tonne lorries and towns don't mix (part 1 of 2)
YouTube - 44 tonne lorries and towns don't mix (part 2 of 2)
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Interesting film about big trucks on our streets
Thanks for this, dfp. I remember well the Critical Mass that went to the Mile End junction (shown repeatedly in the film) to remember Elizabeth Webb. It was a very moving ceremony.
Unfortunately, the film fails to consider the very short-term solution of fitting better mirrors to HGVs. It's very well made but not researched all that well.
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I just got an email from 10 Frowning street about the HGV mirrors petition.
It links to this
http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page17968 -
ditto - Result!
The UK is implementing this measure through changes to national legislation, in accordance with the timescale set out in Directive 2007/38/EC. This requires vehicles within scope of the Directive to be retrofitted with wide angle mirrors, and a close proximity mirror on the passenger side by 31 March 2009. Vehicles will be checked at annual test from 1 April onwards to ensure that the mirrors comply with the relevant requirements.
We are not permitted to bring forward the date of application set out in the Directive but will be implementing the requirements at the earliest opportunity permitted under EU law. The Directive applies in all Member States of the EU, and will affect the majority of large goods vehicles.
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The government's action is inadequate. It only applies to lorries on the road since 2000, there will still be over 100,000 out there with poor mirrors.
They have not included the class VI mirror which is on new lorries which gives a view in front of the driver's cab. These are particularly important for saving pedestrian lives - and some cyclists. They are not planning to enforce this from March, only when lorries come up for MOT, which may not be for another 14 months. In London the police have told us that they will try to enforce the new rules from this year.
I believe that it is untrue to say that the government could not have brought forward implementation by at least 12 months, the Belgians did it five years ago!
quoting the government's response... ... ...
The UK is implementing this measure through changes to national legislation, in accordance with the timescale set out in Directive 2007/38/EC. This requires vehicles within scope of the Directive to be retrofitted with wide angle mirrors, and a close proximity mirror on the passenger side by 31 March 2009. Vehicles will be checked at annual test from 1 April onwards to ensure that the mirrors comply with the relevant requirements.
We are not permitted to bring forward the date of application set out in the Directive but will be implementing the requirements at the earliest opportunity permitted under EU law. The Directive applies in all Member States of the EU, and will affect the majority of large goods vehicles.
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oh stop moaning, it's better than nothing isn't it?
Yes, but this has been known about for some time, and as Charlie says it is inadequate. The Government response does not offer anything new to the petitioners.
We will keep demanding that they bring us up to Continental standards. It's the least that we can expect. There is no excuse at all as there is clear evidence that the improvements that Charlie mentions work.
Cycling is getting much safer generally and the death toll from HGVs stands out terribly.
No rest until we've got there.
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The government's action is inadequate. It only applies to lorries on the road since 2000, there will still be over 100,000 out there with poor mirrors.
Just a thought, but has the low emissions zone had any effect in getting pre-2000 lorries off the city streets? I understood it banned trucks that do not meet Euro III (or does it charge them a tax?) Post 2001 trucks are assumed to be Euro III compliant, but older ones are not.
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This is the official response I received today from the 10 downing street petition.
I seems like it might have already been on here but I thought it was of interest.We received a petition asking:“We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to save cyclists lives: Force fit of HGV blind-spot mirrors now!.”
Details of Petition:
“Join Cycling Plus magazine in calling for recommended EU legislation on HGV blind spot mirrors to be brought in now and save an estimated 18 cyclists a year (DfT’s own figures!). Don’t let the government fritter away time and lives until the March 2009 deadline. Vote to fit them now and make our city streets safer to cycle.”Read the Government’s response
The UK is implementing this measure through changes to national legislation, in accordance with the timescale set out in Directive 2007/38/EC. This requires vehicles within scope of the Directive to be retrofitted with wide angle mirrors, and a close proximity mirror on the passenger side by 31 March 2009. Vehicles will be checked at annual test from 1 April onwards to ensure that the mirrors comply with the relevant requirements.
We are not permitted to bring forward the date of application set out in the Directive but will be implementing the requirements at the earliest opportunity permitted under EU law. The Directive applies in all Member States of the EU, and will affect the majority of large goods vehicles. -
i haven't actually seen one of these spoke cards, what happened?
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saw this on a lorry this morning
There are a few of them around. I can't remember under what initiative this was done, though. Charlie might know.
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appropriately bumped murts ... :(
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it's a good idea.
what made me laugh, when we got to the next junction,, the driver turned left without indicating.A bitter and sarcastic laugh, I'm sure.
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BUMP
seems timely
if you haven't then browse through it. ideas a plenty
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I've changed my mind.
Just legislate the majority of HGVs off urban roads, particularly the ones consistently driven dangerously by impatient, inept, coked-up, phone-using fucktards rushing hither and thither like selfish pricks (churning up the tarmac all the while).
Perhaps this kind of change can also be facilitated by not putting in stupid jingoistically-driven bids for hollow bi-biannual sporting events that cost the tax payer, reward corporate vultures, and disenfranchise local communities... further.
I like trains and canals :(
Greasy_Slag
justMouse
Oliver Schick
DFP
turnpedal
philjay
charlie_lcc
lpg
bq
robin
mattmadegood
31trum
Charco-
Post a reply
About
Awareness Raising Spoke Cards Campaign Project?
Posted by
@BringMeMyFix
Work is still ongoing at all sorts of levels. Lots of press coverage, for instance. Here's a sample campaigning success:
http://www.london2012.com/blog/2008/10/09/helping-improve-safety-for-cyclists-in-london.php
Cynthia Barlow is Chair of RoadPeace.
Earlier, the LCC committed the Olympic Delivery Authority to adopt a zero casualty target around freight operations connected to the Olympics.
The benefits of relatively inexpensive Fresnel lenses should not obscure the fact that better mirrors, which are more expensive, are also required for all UK lorries. See links further up in this thread.
Oliver
LCC