Erith underlines commitment to road safety.
Erith’s commitment to safe cycling and safe urban driving continued this week in the form of an ‘exchanging places’ cycling event, in partnership with the Metropolitan Police and Transport for London. The event aimed to highlight the polarized perspectives of lorries/cyclists on the congested roads of London, through offering cyclists the chance to sit in the driver’s seat of one of Erith’s newest Euro VI compliant vehicles.
With the ever increasing number of cyclists and traffic on the roads of London, it is important for all parties to understand the dangers of passing lorries and cycling around the city. Whilst sitting in the lorry, a demonstration was given to the cyclist to highlight to them where the blind spots of the driver are. Having this demonstration gave an insight into the dangers of undertaking on the nearside and why it is important to be in the view of the drivers mirrors.
After the demonstration, cyclists were asked to provide feedback on their experience, including whether they would change their cycling habits and be more aware of the dangers as a result. 97% of those asked confirmed that they would change their cycling habits as a result, and 99% said that they would recommend the experience to a friend.
Feedback of the event was highly positive, with Simon Castle of the Metropolitan Police saying, “I wanted to thank Erith for the energy that went into the event this week. The professional approach to the planning resulted in a successful and effective event.”
