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With a high number of cycle and pedestrian crashes involving lorries, the proposal to allow lorries that are over two metres longer onto the UK’s roads have been met with alarm by the CTC.
Road safety minister Mike Penning MP is planning to give the longer lorries the go ahead, but the UK’s National Cyclists’ Organisation said these larger vehicles will mean bigger blind spots and more tail swings – potentially resulting in more cyclist deaths when a lorry turns.
The CTC is asking cyclists to ask their MP to write to Penning, which can be done directly from www.ctc.org.uk/nolongerlorries.
“Lorries present a serious risk to cyclists – one in five of the deaths of cyclists involve lorries,” explained CTC campaigns director, Roger Geffen.
“Allowing even longer lorries onto our roads will mean larger ‘blind spots’, more tail swing and a greater risk of hitting other road users. Instead of increasing the danger from lorries, the Government should be working to reduce the threat that already exists."
The CTC said Freight on Rail and the Campaign for Better Transport have commissioned research which suggests that safety would deteriorate with longer lorry trailers.
