The London Evening Standard: Cyclists could be allowed to pass through red lights in bid to cut road deaths
Peter Dominiczak
09.03.10
Cyclists in London could soon be allowed to go through red traffic lights under plans by Boris Johnson to improve safety on the roads.
The Mayor today launched the campaign alongside Transport for London and said he will reduce the number of serious cycling accidents over the next year, particularly those involving collisions with heavy goods vehicles.
One of the measures being considered is allowing cyclists to turn left at red lights. At the moment it is an offence punishable by a £30 fine. The scheme is designed to allow cyclists to negotiate turns ahead of vehicles, particularly lorries, which are responsible for more than half of London’s cyclist deaths each year.
Last September, fitness instructor Chrystelle Brown, 26, was crushed when she was hit by a heavy goods vehicle in Whitechapel as she rode to work.
TV producer Eilidh Cairns, 30, died at a pedestrian crossing in Notting Hill last February when she was hit by a lorry. And last May, Adrianna Skrzypiec, 31, died after she was hit by a lorry in Greenwich as she was cycling home from work.
TfL today released a hard-hitting advert on television and in cinemas across the capital, encouraging drivers to look out for cyclists on the roads. In the advert, a group of thieves are shown robbing a bank, but they fail to notice an innocent cyclist as they escape in a car.
The Mayor also announced that he will fund training for cyclists before the launch of his bike-hire scheme this summer, which he hopes will generate about 40,000 extra bicycle journeys a day in London.
In the Cycle Safety Action Plan, Mr Johnson said he will work with the HGV industry to avoid deliveries on roads at peak times, particularly in areas used by large numbers of cyclists. Mr Johnson said: “The arrival of spring in London is now accompanied by a glorious cornucopia of cyclists.
“I want each and every one of those people to be as safe as possible, and for thousands more to join them, which is why we are working in every conceivable way to give Londoners the road awareness, infrastructure, and statutory support to stay safe.
“This is London’s year of cycling and we are working tirelessly with the police, cycling industry, safety groups, freight operators and more to ensure it can be enjoyed by everyone.”
