by Walther Ploos van Amstel
Studies have shown that increasing the capacity of Heavy Goods Vehicles is one of the most effective ways of reducing fuel consumption per tonne-kilometer of freight moved, with consequent reductions in greenhouse and noxious emissions. Some of the disadvantages of larger vehicles are more pronounced in urban environments, including the safety of other road users, …
Heavy vehicle safety accreditation schemes exist within the UK for road safety in urban freight. These schemes are supported by a regulatory framework requiring minimum standards for road transport operators. Cities such as London and New York have introduced local regulations to improve the safety of heavy vehicles through requirements for improved driver field of view …
The NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) announced that the City’s vehicle fleet will transition to using trucks that better protect pedestrians and cyclists. The trucks, known as high vision trucks, minimize blind spots by lowering the height of the truck cab, using additional windows, and reducing the size and height of the truck’s …
Major cities around the world are taking a stand to end the toll of deaths and injury seen on their roads and transport networks by committing to Vision Zero. London is at the forefront of this approach and the Mayor’s Transport Strategy sets out the goal that, by 2041, all deaths and serious injuries will be eliminated …
President Juncker has steered the course of action of this Commission towards a Europe that protects. Safety is fundamental to any transport system and must always be the top priority. Thanks to actions at EU, national and local levels, road safety in the EU has greatly improved in recent decades.
A group of 18 major European cities have written to Commission President Juncker urging him to prioritise road safety by mandating a direct vision standard for trucks as soon as possible. Cities such as London, Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Brussels and Copenhagen are re-designing existing roads and cutting vehicle speeds but say they cannot be successful “if …
An initiative aimed at reducing collisions involving vulnerable road users and construction vehicles has been released by the Construction Logistics and Community Safety (CLOCS) project. CLOCS, an industry-led project sponsored by Transport for London (TfL) to reduce injuries and deaths due to work-related road risk, has developed the CLOCS Standard for construction logistics for managing work …
Members of the European Parliament have called for standards of ‘direct vision’ – attuned to different truck types – to be proposed by the European Commission when it overhauls vehicle safety rules early next year. Direct vision standards will set out the area surrounding a truck cab the driver must be able to see without using …
Heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) are overrepresented in fatal collisions. HGVs make up less than 4% of the miles driven in London, but were involved in 78% of cyclist fatalities and 20% of pedestrian fatalities in 2015. Transport for London (TfL) is looking to improve HGV safety.