Making cycling in London safer
Concern over road safety is the greatest barrier to people cycling in London. We are committed to making London's roads safer and helping cyclists gain confidence.
Cycle Safety Action Plan
The Cycle Safety Action Plan sets out how Transport for London (TfL) will strive to reduce the number of cyclists killed or seriously injured on London’s roads.
The action plan contains 52 separate actions to improve the safety of cyclists, focusing on the following key areas:
- Safer infrastructure
- Training and information
- Communication and enforcement
- Regulation
- Vehicle technology
- Commercial driving and working practices
- Research
- Monitoring and continued partnership working
Read the Cycle Safety Action Plan in full.
Safer Lorry Scheme
The Safer Lorry Scheme will help reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on London’s roads by 50 per cent by 2020.
The scheme prohibits all vehicles over 3.5 tonnes from driving in London unless they are fitted with appropriate sideguards and mirrors. This protects cyclists from being dragged under the wheels in the event of a collision and gives the driver a better view of cyclists and pedestrians around their vehicles.
The scheme operates across all roads in London, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It covers the same area as the London Low Emission Zone and is enforced by the police.
Extensive trials by the Transport Research Laboratory are looking at a variety of electronic sensors for lorries, aiming to alert drivers to cyclists’ presence. If it is shown that any of these devices offers significant and consistent benefits, it may also be required for them to be fitted to lorries in London.
We also encourage heavy goods vehicle (HGV) operators to take cycling safety seriously. This includes asking them to join TfL’s Freight Operators Recognition Scheme (FORS), which helps companies improve the safety of their business, reduce their impact on the environment and increase efficiency. We are also campaigning to make cycle safety awareness a mandatory part of a HGV driver’s training.
The Direct Vision Standard
On 30 September 2016 the Mayor, Sadiq Khan, launched the world's first Direct Vision Standard (DVS) for HGVs. It was created to improve the safety of all road users, particularly vulnerable road users like pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
Using a star system, the DVS rates HGVs from 0 (lowest) to 5 (highest) based on how much a HGV driver can see directly through their cab windows, as opposed to indirectly through cameras or mirrors.
Under the Mayor's proposal, 0-star rated HGVs will be banned or restricted from entering London from 2020, and by 2024 only those rated 3 star, or above, will be allowed into the city. These proposals are subject to consultation.
Cycling awareness for all road users
All road users, including cyclists, are expected to follow the Highway Code. Alongside this, the Mayor is strongly in favour of promoting responsible behaviour on London’s roads, and mutual respect between cyclists and other road users.
We work in partnership with the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police to crack down on anti-social and illegal behaviour by all road users. We fund the Met Cycle Task Force, which aims to improve safety for all by communicating and enforcing the appropriate behaviour for all road users in London.
The activities of the Task Force include raising Londoners’ awareness of dangerous behaviour, and cracking down on drivers and cyclists who break the rules of the road. This includes targeting cyclists for offences such as cycling through a red light and cycling on a pavement. It also targets drivers for driving while using a mobile phone, encroaching on cyclist advanced stop lines, and driving within a mandatory cycle lane.
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