Improving Vulnerable Road User Safety is Key Focus for MPA at London Bike Show
The Mineral Products Association (MPA), a leading contributor to the development of the Construction Logistics Cyclist Safety (CLOCS) Standard and a CLOCS Champion, was helping to promote the new Standard and highlight key safety messages alongside partners at the London Bike Show 2015 which took place from 12-15 February.
Nigel Jackson, Chief Executive MPA, said, “We welcomed the opportunity to support the CLOCS/Exchanging Places stand at the London Bike Show. The mineral products and construction industries work very hard to minimise incidents and injuries on site and the same attitude should be applied to what happens on the road. This year, our continuing focus will be on implementation of the requirements of MPA’s Vulnerable Road User Safety Policy and the CLOCS Standard amongst the membership and continuing to roll out our Cycle Safe campaign across the regions. It is essential that all parties (drivers, haulage companies, contractors, cyclists, police and regulators) work together to make our roads safer for all road users.”
The CLOCS/Exchanging Places stand at the London Bike Show featured three Large Goods Vehicles (LGVs), including a newer higher vision Mercedes Econic cab. The Metropolitan Police were using the vehicles to run a live Exchanging Places event. Visitors to the show were invited to sit in the LGV cabs to experience the driver’s perspective and learn about where to position themselves safely on the road to minimise the risk of collisions with lorries. Videos were also used to emphasise key safety points, whilst MPA, several of its members and other CLOCS volunteers provided safety leaflets, free high visibility clothing and CLOCS information.
The CLOCS Standard is a consistent, national Standard which sets out requirements for companies and drivers delivering construction materials and contractors/clients. The initiative aims to bring together all parties involved: the construction industry, truck operators and vulnerable roads users in a bid to reduce accidents. MPA’s Vulnerable Road User Safety Policy (launched in 2012) which sets out requirements for members, is now aligned with CLOCS.
Michael Heduan MBE, Driver Training and Vehicle Safety Programme Manager at Crossrail, said, “Last year this event attracted over 45,000 cycling enthusiasts from London and across the UK. This year we reached out to them to demonstrate both the risks presented by the blind spots around the trucks which deliver vital goods in our major cities and the progress truck operators and manufacturers have made in developing safer vehicles. In 2015 CLOCS will take major strides to roll our programme out further on a national scale and work with truck operators, drivers and cyclists to help tackle the issue of cycle collisions by raising road safety awareness amongst all vulnerable road users.”
Between 2008 and 2013, 55 per cent of cyclist fatalities in London involved a heavy goods vehicle and nationally large goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes are involved in approximately 15 per cent of cyclist and 10 per cent of pedestrian fatalities. A disproportionate number of these were construction vehicles.
