Truck sensors urged to protect cyclists - Car Rental News
Truck sensors urged to protect cyclists
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Car Rental News - 19/05/2011
An MP is calling for sensors that could save lives.
An MP has called for lorries to be fitted with sensors that could save the lives of cyclists. The sensors can reduce or eliminate deadly blind spots in truck drivers’ view of the road.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Sir Alan Beith said truck companies should be forced to install sensors. The MP, who represents Berwick-upon-Tweed, says the requirement should be implemented as part of the Road Safety Bill he is sponsoring.
The MP decided to tackle the issue after the family of Eilidh Cairns contacted him about the death of the cyclist, who was killed by a truck in London. He said better mirrors could work with the sensors as a vital tool to protect the lives of both cyclists and pedestrians.
Cyclists can end up caught in the rear wheels of of trucks if the driver fails to see them in a blind spot while going around a corner. Sir Alan has called for firms to be forced to fit such sensors in a bid to reduce the number of fatalities and injuries.
The MP said a proposal from Transport Secretary Philip Hammond that would leave the installation of sensors a voluntary measure does not go far enough. Sir Alan said companies that invested in the fitment of sensors would struggle to compete with those companies that saved money by not installing the sensors.
Sir Alan has proposed his own Road Safety Bill in the Commons. He said the risks to pedestrians and cyclists was particularly severe in urban traffic, particularly at road junctions. He said the problem would probably worsen as increasing numbers of people turned to cycling in order to deal with commuting.
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