Cyclist/HGV awareness event helps spread safe cycling message

City of London police offered an amnesty to cyclists during the latest lorry awareness event

HGVs parked in various London locations on Tuesday 20 January so cyclists could see how the road looks from a lorry cab.

City of London Police offered to cancel penalty tickets issued to cyclists in the City in the previous week in exchange for attending the event.

The event, organised by the Metropolitan Police and supported by Transport for London and London Cycling Campaign, took place during morning rush hour (7-10am) at the following locations:

Spital Square E1 (City / Tower Hamlets)

Finsbury Circus EC2 (City)

Queen Mothers Gate, South Carriage Drive, Hyde Park (Westminster)

Eddystone Road Bridge, off Brockley Road (Lewisham)

A lunchtime (12-3pm) demo also took place at St Pauls Cathedral.

Officers from the Met's Traffic Unit worked simultaneously at the four popular cyclist routes to educate and raise awareness of the dangers and risks of collisions between cyclists and lorry drivers.

Officers also stopped and spoke to lorry drivers to raise awareness of these collisions and distributing special mirrors called 'Fresnel lens' to lorry drivers who don't have forward-facing and side-facing mirrors. These mirrors stick to the driver's nearside window and allow greater visibility.

Last year 15 cyclists died on London's roads, nine of those in collisions with a lorry.

Inspector Graham Horwood from the Met's Traffic Unit said: "The number of cyclists killed following a collision with a lorry represented 60% of total deaths of cyclists on London's roads last year and we are determined this will not be repeated in 2009."

"The Met is working with our partners to raise awareness of the dangers for both cyclists and HGV drivers."

For more information and photos from lorry events, follow the link on the right.