Britain’s first ‘safer lorry scheme’ has come into force in Greater London, banning all HGVs that do not have basic safety equipment designed to protect cyclists and pedestrians.
Drivers will face fines of £1,000 if they enter the capital without sideguards and class V and class VI wide-angle mirrors.
London mayor Boris Johnson plans to bolster the scheme further by requiring HGVs to have bigger mirrors fitted to the lower side of the cab door that ensure drivers have a clear view of cyclists alongside them.
He is expected to consult on the scheme in the new year.
Boris Johnson said: ‘We are ahead of any other part of the UK in closing the legal loopholes that allowed many HGVs to operate without basic safety equipment, and I am delighted that over the 18 months since we announced the safer lorry scheme the vast majority of operators have got the message and fitted safety equipment to their vehicles in anticipation of the ban.
‘We have, from this morning, begun vigorous enforcement action against the laggards. A very disproportionate share of cyclist deaths and serious injuries are caused by lorries, and today’s scheme will undoubtedly save lives.
‘But this big step forward is only one element of my work to protect cyclists and pedestrians from lorries. I propose to require further safety modifications to all HGVs in London, including the retrofitting of bigger side windows to further reduce the driver blind spots that contribute to so many tragic accidents.’
