Cyclists given opportunity to see road from another perspective to increase road safety
A refuse collection truck and large “bulker” HGV were parked up next to the Civic Centre with drivers Paul Starsi and Steve Underwood along with health and safety manager Roy Cotterill on hand to show cyclists areas of danger and blind spots around these vehicles. They also sat in the cabs and driver’s seats to see the highway from a different perspective: one that was equally shocking and enlightening for many.
Garry Killingbeck from Southampton visited the trucks to find out how cyclists can be safe around these large vehicles: “From a cyclist point of view it is good to see what lorry drivers see, as many cyclists do not realise where the blind spots are and force themselves into dangerous situations. This demo allowed us to stop and think how we can help ourselves and other road users.”
Roy Cotterill, regional QHSE manager for Veolia added: “We’re striving to make road safety for all road users a top priority, so today we hope to make Southampton’s cyclists safer on our roads by showing them where the dangers are around large vehicles like ours.”
The number of cyclists killed and injured on Britain’s roads has been increasing over recent years, with 92% involving another vehicle.