Cyclists and HGV safety programme reaches landmark 20,000th participant at RideLondon

Transport for London (TfL) and the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) celebrated a road safety milestone recently as the 20,000th person took part in the joint-funded Exchanging Places initiative. The milestone was reached during the Prudential RideLondon cycling festival, where 1200 cyclists and drivers were given tips for staying safe on the road.

Exchanging Places is a road safety initiative that allows members of the public to sit in the driver's seat of a Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) to gain a better understanding of what the driver can and can't see, especially when driving with cyclists and other vulnerable road users on the nearside and directly in front of the vehicle.

Lorry drivers are also invited to sit on a bike alongside a HGV to understand the cyclist's view of the road. The initiative aims to improve road safety and awareness amongst cyclists and HGV drivers, helping to avoid road collisions.

Seven of the eight cyclist fatalities in London this year have involved a lorry, which are disproportionately represented in cycling fatalities in the capital.

Steve Burton, TfL's Director of Enforcement and On-Street Policing, said: "This is a great achievement for the Exchanging Places team and shows how we can get more people involved in seeing the road from a different perspective. Through these sessions we are able to help cyclists and HGV drivers have a mutual understanding of the challenges they both face while sharing the road and how we can all help to reduce unnecessary injuries.

"Road safety is a key priority for us and we will continue to work with our policing partners to reduce the number of people involved in cycling collisions the Capital."

Sergeant Simon Castle, Roads and Transport Policing Command, said: "Exchanging Places is about raising awareness of road safety issues, particularly around HGV's, and we are so pleased that we have welcomed our 20,000th participant to our event.

"I urge all cyclists to come to one of our events, which provide cyclists with practical advice on to how safeguard themselves from traffic, avoid collisions and ultimately save lives."

Exchanging Places events are held regularly across London throughout the year. To find out dates and locations visit www.tinyurl.com/ExPlaces

If you can't get down to an event why not see first-hand the view from the drivers of a HGV and the dangers of undertaking large vehicles, by watching this short film.