TfL premieres cycle safety film

Transport for London has filmed and plans to distribute a cycle safety film aimed at the capital’s estimated 140,000 regular cyclists.

The five-minute recording, which can be seen online at tfl.gov.uk/cycling has been designed to educate both cyclists and lorry drivers how to safely navigate busy urban areas – and each other – safely.

Filmed from both the cyclists and drivers points of view, it outlines a series of golden rules:

• Drivers of left-turning goods vehicles must keep checking their left mirror for cyclists.
• Cyclists should remember that if they can’t see a vehicle’s mirrors, they probably can’t be seen by the driver.
• Cyclists should avoid undertaking (going up the left-hand side) goods vehicles, and shouldn’t undertake a goods vehicle that is stopped at traffic lights, unless the lights have only just turned red.
• Cyclists should ensure they position themselves far enough ahead of an goods vehicle (in stopped traffic) that the driver can see them.

Last year nine London cyclists lost their lives after being in an incident involving a heavy goods vehicle.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: "I want Londoners to feel excited about our cycle revolution and to feel 100 per cent confident about getting on their bikes."

Those who live and work in the city are also being encouraged by the mayor to sign-up for TfL-funded cycle training courses. Places on these courses are available through local borough councils.

A record 6,000 adults and more than 39,000 kids took part in the funded training in 2008.