Alternative map of KSIs involving Heavy Goods Vehicles

In my previous post I presented a map created using Google Fusion Tables. This post shows an alternative map produced using the same data fed in to Google Maps. Due to limits on the file size, the collisions resulting in minor injuries have been omitted.

Vulnerable road users killed or seriously injured in collisions involving HGVS for the years 2005-2015

For a larger version of the map, click here.

'Vulnerable Road Users' refers to pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, horse riders & mobility scooter riders. Due to the number of dangerous goods vehicles classed as 'Other', that category has been included and the maps will also include some collisions involving different vehicles in the 'Other' category.

STATS19 mapping implementation notes

These maps are based on the data from 2005-2015 inclusive (11 years of data), which has been edited down to make the file sizes more manageable. If you want the full details on specific a specific incident or want to search by area I recommend using www.cyclestreets.net/collisions/.

The data for "Journey_Purpose_of_Driver", "Vehicle_Type", "Make" and "Model" refers to the other vehicle involved where that has been possible to match*. For pedestrians, the data records which vehicle (first) hit them. For other road users we inferred a collision where there was just one other vehicle involved. When there were more vehicles it was not possible to infer which vehicles collided with which.

*Bicycles, horses and mobility scooters are all counted as vehicles.

For a few of the entries we have found errors in the data, such as missing location data which may means they have not been mapped. Examples of this are accident references 2005600GN6024 and 200504BB05106.

Care has been taken to avoid errors or emissions while creating these maps, however if you spot an issue please let us know.

Mapping KSIs involving Lorries

Lorries and other large vehicles are a serious danger to vulnerable road users.

Using the STATS19 data I've produced maps showing collisions involving these vehicles where pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, horse riders or mobility scooter riders were killed or injured. Due to the number of dangerous goods vehicles classed as 'Other' (details here) the maps will also include some collisions involving different vehicles in the 'Other' category.

Deaths & Injuries involving HGVs, 2005-2015

Key: 
Fatality = Symbol
Serious Injuries = Yellow dot
Minor Injuries = Blue dot

This is a map I produced showing where vulnerable road users have been killed or injured 2005-2015. Click here for full size version, produced using Google Fusion tables.

Other mapping:

In addition to this, I have tried presenting the data using Google 'Maps' rather than 'Fusion Tables'. This has several advantages however it limits each layer to 2000 data points, which poses challenges when dealing with data for the whole of the UK (except Norther Ireland). Due to this limitation it is necessary to filter the data down, reducing the years, casualty types or casualty severities shown.

Click here for a map showing where pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists have been killed or injured in collisions involving Heavy Goods Vehicles for the years 2012-2015. This is a subset of the data shown in the map above.

STATS19 mapping implementation notes

These maps are based on the data from 2005-2015 inclusive (11 years of data), which has been edited down to make the file sizes more manageable. If you want the full details on specific a specific incident or want to search by area I recommend using www.cyclestreets.net/collisions/.

The data for "Journey_Purpose_of_Driver", "Vehicle_Type", "Make" and "Model" refers to the other vehicle involved where that has been possible to match*. For pedestrians, the data records which vehicle (first) hit them. For other road users we inferred a collision where there was just one other vehicle involved. When there were more vehicles it was not possible to infer which vehicles collided with which.

*Bicycles, horses and mobility scooters are all counted as vehicles. 

For a few of the entries we have found errors in the data, such as missing location data which may means they have not been mapped. Examples of this are accident references 2005600GN6024 and 200504BB05106.

Care has been taken to avoid errors or emissions while creating these maps, however if you spot an issue please let us know.

See Me Save Me - Eliminating Lorry Danger

See Me Save Me is a campaign to eliminate deaths and injuries caused by collisions involving HGVs, with a focus on the most vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists).

See Me Save Me work to prevent the blaming of victims (for not wearing hats, jumping lights, not having insurance etc etc) and focus on the danger of the vehicles.

• They have been involved in the development of safer lorry standards with industry and regulators, in particular CLOCS. 
• They are also members of the ‘Action on Lorry Danger’ working group which includes CyclingUK, LCC and Living Streets. 

See Me Save Me was started in 2009 by Kate Cairns following the death of her sister Eilidh.

CLOCS

The Construction Logistics and Cyclist Safety report was released in February 2013 and is the basis for the CLOCS programme. The CLOCS standards include a range of measures to reduce risk:

• Requirements for safer vehicles to maximise vision
• Driver checks and training
• Fleet management and route planning
• Proper investigation and reporting of collisions

In London, adoption of CLOCS is now a requirement in many public sector contracts for clients including Crossrail, TfL and the Greater London Assembly. However widespread adoption by the public and private sector across the UK is needed to prevent the pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists being killed or injured by collisions with HGV.

See Me Save Me's campaign

See Me Save Me are raising awareness of lorry danger and campaigning for the adoption of preventative measures and standards such as CLOCS across the UK:

• Build relationships with industry and public bodies across the UK, especially in major cities such as Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Cambridge, Newcastle, Leeds, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast.
• Collaborate with pedestrian, cyclist and residents groups to campaign for a reduction in lorry danger.
• Keep a record of those killed or seriously injured by HGVs to show the scale of the problem.

Lorry danger has consistently been identified by our supporters as a major concern and one of the top priorities for campaigning. In 2016 we will be working with See Me Save Me to help launch their campaign to have CLOCS standards adopted widely and for safer lorries across the UK.

Please join their campaign by signing up for email updates here: http://www.seemesaveme.org/

Nine months.

It has been nine months since a cyclist was killed by a motor vehicle in London, a halt which would not have seemed credible at this time last year.

This pause follows a string of needless deaths which inspired the campaign for lorry safety which we have all been part of. Inexplicably, it was legal to drive HGVs around London blindly until the rules were updated to require more extensive mirrors. Haulage companies have also made this a focus, with industry groups concerned that their vehicles might be banned from the centre.

But we have been lucky

In this time many cyclists have received serious injuries on our roads. https://cycling-intelligence.com/fatal-cycling-accidents-in-london/ gives details of some of the non-fatal collisions: 

first hit by one vehicle and then dragged under the wheels of a second

victim had leg amputated; left turning driver arrested

Witnesses reported hearing a "gut-wrenching scream" in the collision near the notorious Old Street roundabout

These were incidents which could easily have resulted in another death. It is only luck and the work of NHS trauma teams which prevented fatalities here.

More is needed to keep cyclists safe in London

It is important to recognise the progress which has been made to improve safety for people on bikes - progress which is in part thanks to the supporters of this campaign, the London Cycling Campaign and Stop Killing Cyclists.

However, this isn't the end of HGV deaths in London. 

Last year 7 people were killed by lorries - a toll which is totally unacceptable and in no way diminished because the overall toll is less than last year. There are no 'acceptable' deaths from our transport system so we need London to adopt the same approach as New York:

This status quo is unacceptable. The City of New York must no longer regard traffic crashes as mere "accidents," but rather as preventable incidents that can be systematically addressed. No level of fatality on city streets is inevitable or acceptable.

The future

We cannot allow complacency to creep back in to City Hall, or for HGV operators to relax their focus. A confidential reporting system such as CIRAS is needed to allow drivers and employees to report safety concerns without fearing for their jobs.

The NHS has done an excellent job of keeping cyclists alive, too little has been done to prevent collisions on our roads. If we go back to old ways we will see the numbers of road deaths go back up.

Now is the time to press home the need for a network of protected cycle lanes across all of London and a Vision Zero approach to safety on our streets.

Safer Lorries Consultation - Respond today!

Dear Friends,

TfL's consultation on Safer Lorries needs your support!

Last year, seven out of the nine cyclist fatalities in London involved lorries.

TfL are now proposing that HGV's should be fitted with extra vision panels in the passenger door so the driver can see adjacent road users. This will reduce the 'left hook' collisions which have resulted in many cyclist and pedestrian fatalities.

The consultation includes two options:

• Option A - Differential road charging to encourage higher vision lorries
• Option B - Restricting non-compliant vehicles (a ban or partial ban)

A full ban would be most effective to keep dangerous lorries off our streets. A partial ban would shift danger to those cycling outside restricted times. Limiting lorries to so called 'safer routes' would inevitably mean allowing dangerous HGVs to mix with cyclists due to the lack of continuously segregated routes in London.

Respond to the consultation here - takes less than 5 minutes.

Stop Killing Cyclists are challenging the London mayoral candiates to implement 10 cycle safety measures by 2020, including ending HGV blind spots and other measures to reduce the danger from HGVs. You can read more about the 10by2020 here, and read responses from the candidates here. There will be more campaigning in the run up to the mayoral election, so watch this space!

Please support these measures and encourage friends to do the same.

Kind regards,


Fred


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[1] http://saveourcyclists.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/call-on-mayor-and-gla-to-end-lorry.html
[2] http://saveourcyclists.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/our-2015-demands-reviewing-mayors.html

Our 2015 demands - Reviewing the Mayor's responses

Our 2015 demands are making real progress thanks to all our supporters who have emailed the Mayor and members of the London Assembly in the summer:

• The Mayor has responded to our emails and also to the question put by Darren Johnson in the London Assembly.
• Significantly, the cause is now being taken further with support across the political spectrum most notably by Darren Johnson AM (Green Party), Andrew Boff AM (Conservative Party) and Caroline Pidgeon AM (Liberal Democrat), with Labour Party assembly members also said to be in favour.

This is a sea change in the debate around HGV safety which signals significant political will across the board to address this endemic problem.

While the responses from the Mayor have been positive, they don't include the decisive action we need (yet). However there are signals that significant progress is possible and our campaigning can make that happen.

Rush Hour Lorry Ban

The Mayor says:

I have asked TfL to examine the practicality and potential implications of restricting certain vehicles at certain times as part of its wider freight programme. A full assessment of the implications of any peak time restriction is needed to avoid unintended consequences, such as an increase in vans on the road or an increase in HGVs at other times of the day. 

While it is good this option is being considered, this statement puts the Mayor a long way from implementing any ban.

However, the email also indicates they are looking at ways to remove HGV traffic from cycle routes. This could achieve the same objective - separating HGV traffic from bike traffic to reduce accidents.

The Mayor says the GLA will start using it's planning powers to force construction HGVs to use designated routes & avoid roads with large numbers of cyclists and "Discussions with the London boroughs and the construction industry have already started to ensure that this happens as fast as possible."

The discussions the boroughs may possibly be about existing ‘weight limit enforcement action’ powers which are generally not being enforced. Hackney has successfully been enforcing their ban for a number of years and the City of London are set to start enforcing their central area ban (which includes junctions where HGVs killed cyclists in 2015). As these are existing powers many other boroughs could start implementing these immediately in order to keep cyclists safe this winter. This is an area where pressure from cyclists can make a real difference.

Construction Industry to adopt CLOCS

The Mayor has stated he is working with TfL to encourage companies to adopt CLOCS, which is welcome lacks any requirement for contractors to use this system. They go on to say:

In January the Mayor will consult on requiring further safety modifications including the retrofitting of bigger side windows to further reduce driver blind spots. Bigger side windows, in the lower panel of the cab door, give the driver direct vision of any cyclist who may be alongside them, and can be fitted to most lorries for around £1000. This consultation will be complete and a decision taken before the Mayoral election. In the meantime, as soon as the work can be physically completed, it will be ensured that such windows are fitted to all vehicles undertaking work for TfL, Crossrail, or any other member of the Greater London Authority (GLA) family.

This step towards 'direct-vision' lorries is a very positive sign as 'blind spot minimisation' is one of the measures needed to implement CLOCS. Not only will this make lorries safer, but it is potentially a step towards the roll out of CLOCS in the future and sets a strong precedent for the boroughs.

We need to keep making the case for CLOCS to be adopted by all GLA and borough HGVs to make sure this is adopted as widely as possible.

Confidential reporting of bad practice

The Mayor has responded:

I support any measure that exposes bad practice and increases our understanding of how incidents occur and what needs to be done to prevent future collisions. CIRAS is a whistleblowing scheme widely used in other transport sectors to allow confidential reporting of bad practice by employees, but does not currently cover HGV operations and is not available to members of the public to raise concerns. I have asked TfL to investigate whether CIRAS would provide any additional benefit to the existing range of measures in place to report, investigate and manage bad practice.

It seems clear that CIRAS would contribute to making a much more robust reporting system for bad practice - it is in everyone's interests that potential problems are picked up before they result in tragedy. We will continue to call for for confidential reporting systems as part of improvements to the way TfL identifies and investigates bad practice.

Enforcement

We have recently set up a Freight Compliance Unit (FCU), formed of officers and staff from TfL, the MPS and DVSA and the FCU shares information on operator compliance in order to ensure that enforcement is intelligence led and our efforts are coordinated.

We hope this team will bring new energy to enforcement action in London. This unit will be judged on the number of dangerous lorries taken off the roads, the impact on compliance rates, and the ability to crack down on rogue operators. We will probably need to wait until next year to fully see what the impact of this unit is, but should push for regular status updates before then to ensure it receives the attention it deserves.

The Mayor also says:

I encourage Londoners to report any illegal activity or failure to comply with the law via the RoadSafe London website, which is run by the MPS.

Unfortunately there are many reports suggesting that the RoadSafe website is not always an effective place to report dangerous driving (possibly due to lack of resources and a large number of reports). For alternative places to report bad driving please see this post from the Safer Oxford Street blog.

Official response to our campaign email

Further to the Mayor's written response to our demands in the Question posed by Darren Johnson AM we have also received a direct response from the Mayor's public liaison unit via email, copied in full below:

Dear Fred

Thank you for your petition to the Mayor about HGVs and cycle safety. The Mayor is committed to improving cycling safety and is particularly conscious of the dangers posed by Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) to cyclists. That is why he and Transport for London (TfL) have taken a number of steps to address this issue.

HGVs, and particularly construction vehicles, are involved in a disproportionate number of fatal collisions involving cyclists and pedestrians. On 1 September 2015, London launched the UK's first Safer Lorry Scheme, which is designed to protect these vulnerable road users. The scheme legally requires every vehicle driving in London weighing more than 3.5 tonnes to be fitted with basic safety equipment. Under London's scheme, most vehicles that are currently exempt from national legislation for this equipment, such as construction vehicles, will have to be retrofitted. Class V and Class VI mirrors give the driver a better view of cyclists and pedestrians around their vehicle. Side guards protect cyclists from being dragged under the wheels in the event of a collision.

As part of the Safer Lorry Scheme launch, the Mayor also set out plans for strengthening the scheme in the future. In January the Mayor will consult on requiring further safety modifications including the retrofitting of bigger side windows to further reduce driver blind spots. Bigger side windows, in the lower panel of the cab door, give the driver direct vision of any cyclist who may be alongside them, and can be fitted to most lorries for around £1000. This consultation will be complete and a decision taken before the Mayoral election. In the meantime, as soon as the work can be physically completed, it will be ensured that such windows are fitted to all vehicles undertaking work for TfL, Crossrail, or any other member of the Greater London Authority (GLA) family.

Extensive trials are also now being undertaken at the Transport Research Laboratory of a variety of electronic sensors for lorries, aiming to alert drivers to cyclists' presence. If any of these devices are shown to offer significant and consistent benefits, it may also be required that they be fitted to lorries in London.

Many of the most dangerous vehicles are construction-related. For future major construction projects, GLA planning powers will be used to strictly prescribe the routes which HGVs serving them can follow - requiring, for instance, that they avoid a road heavily used by cyclists or take a route that minimises the number of left turns, the most dangerous manoeuvre. Discussions with the London boroughs and the construction industry have already started to ensure that this happens as fast as possible.

Following the launch of the Mayor's Cycling Vision for London in spring 2013, there has been a step change in the approach to cycling facilities across London. Two new, substantially segregated, high quality Cycle Superhighways will be built, running east-west and north-south through Central London. Construction has begun on the north-south route and on the first phase of the east-west route with completion expected in spring 2016. The new Superhighways will provide clear and convenient routes through London for cyclists, physically separated from other vehicles.

Similarly, the Better Junctions programme aims to improve safety at high profile junctions and gyratories in London. Thirty-three locations have been identified where significant improvements can be delivered for cyclists and other vulnerable road users. TfL will deliver improvements at 10 of the 33 Better Junctions by May 2016. Consultations so far have included Aldgate, Blackfriars, Elephant & Castle, Lancaster Gate, Oval, Parliament Square and Tower Gateway. TfL is also trialling a range of innovative cycle infrastructure measures including Dutch style roundabouts and cycle priority junctions. A number of these innovations have now gone live at Oval junction, including cyclist specific traffic lights and a new 'hold the left turn' feature.

These programmes dovetail very closely with what cyclists have been demanding. The Mayor is committed to making progress as quickly as possible, while ensuring that these improvements are done properly. Cycling safety has been and will remain at the heart of the Mayor's administration and the Mayor is determined to make things better for cyclists in London.

Thank you again for contacting the Mayor.

Yours sincerely


Mohammed Rahman
Public Liaison Unit

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Dear Boris, Jennette, Caroline and Darren,

7 out of the 8 cyclist fatalities this year have involved HGVs [1] and we need the mayor and GLA to do more to protect cyclists and pedestrians. There are still too many dangerous lorries and too many dangerous junctions in London. We are calling for urgent action to reduce injuries and deaths:

• A rush hour lorry ban. When we asked earlier this year over half of our supporters wanted a lorry ban in the rush hour [2]. 
• The construction industry must adopt 'CLOCS' safety standards to prevent further deaths. Construction industry HGVs have killed 5 cyclists this year already [3], CLOCS safety standards should be made mandatory in every public section construction contract in London.
• Confidential reporting of bad practice needs to be rolled out to all HGV drivers, irrespective of whether their employer wants to take part [3].
  
• Stronger enforcement. Operators must never be allowed to put profits before lives by allowing unlicensed, untrained lorry drivers, or unsafe vehicles, to operate on our roads.

These urgent measures must be the starting point for a target of zero lorry deaths on our streets. Safe segregated routes will be key to eventually eliminating road danger but we must start with action which can save lives in 2015-16.


This call comes from the Save Our Cyclists petition and has been circulated to our supporters who have been encouraged to contact you with their personal reasons for wanting action. The petition currently has 37'946 signatures: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-our-cyclists


We would appreciate responses to this call and will publish all the responses we receive on our blog and Facebook page.


Kind regards,


Fred

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References:
[1] -www.london24.com/news/cycling/london_cycle_deaths_2015_1_3964719
[2] - When we asked earlier this year over half of our supporters wanted a ban in the rush hour: http://saveourcyclists.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/supporter-survey-2015-responses.html
[3] - http://saveourcyclists.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/higher-safety-standards-needed-for.html

London Mayor's response to Save Our Cyclists' demands

Cycle safety and HGVs

Question No: 2015/2647
Darren Johnson

While your recent announcement on cycle safety and HGVs contains some welcome measures there is a very strong feeling that you should do more. Many hundreds of Londoners have been in touch with me since your announcement in support of the following measures.

• A rush hour lorry ban.
• The construction industry to adopt 'CLOCS' safety standards to prevent further deaths.
• Confidential reporting of bad practice to be rolled out to all HGV drivers, irrespective of whether their employer wants to take part.
• Stronger enforcement so that operators are not allowed to put profits before lives by allowing unlicensed, untrained lorry drivers, or unsafe vehicles, to operate on our roads.

Will you agree to implement these?

Written response from the Mayor 

I strongly support any measures to improve the safety of vulnerable road users. TfL is already delivering road safety improvements for all road users, including cyclists, but while there are no easy or quick fixes that can be applied, we believe we have a strong programme in place to make London’s roads safer for all road users.

I have asked TfL to examine the practicality and potential implications of restricting certain vehicles at certain times as part of its wider freight programme. A full assessment of the implications of any peak time restriction is needed to avoid unintended consequences, such as an increase in vans on the road or an increase in HGVs at other times of the day.

I fully support the adoption of the CLOCS Standard by the construction industry and will work with TfL to promote the aims of the CLOCS programme and to encourage construction organisations to commit to adopting the CLOCS Standard.

I support any measure that exposes bad practice and increases our understanding of how incidents occur and what needs to be done to prevent future collisions. CIRAS is a whistleblowing scheme widely used in other transport sectors to allow confidential reporting of bad practice by employees, but does not currently cover HGV operations and is not available to members of the public to raise concerns. I have asked TfL to investigate whether CIRAS would provide any additional benefit to the existing range of measures in place to report, investigate and manage bad practice.

TfL and its partners are committed to enforcing against unsafe operators in London, who are a danger to other road users and who damage the reputation of those operators who work within the law. We work with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), City of London Police and other agencies to target those operators we know to have a poor safety record. We have recently set up a Freight Compliance Unit (FCU), formed of officers and staff from TfL, the MPS and DVSA and the FCU shares information on operator compliance in order to ensure that enforcement is intelligence led and our efforts are coordinated.

I encourage Londoners to report any illegal activity or failure to comply with the law via the RoadSafe London website, which is run by the MPS.

Greens respond to call to end lorry danger

Darren Johnson, a green member of the London Assembly has responded to the call for action on HGVs. He and Jenny Jones AM are supporting our demands for a rush hour lorry ban, CLOCS safety standards, confidential reporting and stronger enforcement.

We welcome his announcement that he will be tabling formal questions to the mayor asking for these measures to be implemented. His message is as follows:

Many thanks for your message. I am responding on behalf of the Green Assembly Members, myself and Jenny Jones AM.

We completely share your concerns and support these safety demands to help eliminate deaths and injuries from HGVs on London’s roads and make cycling safer for everyone. While I welcome the Mayor’s recent announcement on left turns and mirrors, the Mayor and TfL need to do more and I will therefore be tabling a formal question to the Mayor asking him to implement these demands (a rush hour lorry ban, CLOCS safety standards, confidential reporting and stronger enforcement).

Promoting cycling and decreasing road danger have been consistent priorities for the Greens on the London Assembly. We will continue to urge the Mayor to urgently redesign the most dangerous junctions, impose a default London-wide 20mph speed limit, segregate cycle superhighways so that they meet ‘Go Dutch’ standards as well as crucial safety measures for HGVs. 

If you would like to be kept informed about our work on cycling then please email Rachel.Carlill@London.gov.uk and we will add you to our email circulation list (emails are approximately once a month). Please be assured of our continued commitment to making our streets safer and more attractive for cyclists through our work with cycling campaigners, through putting pressure on the Mayor and TfL and through our formal committee work here at City Hall.


Darren Johnson AM
Green Party Member
London Assembly
City Hall
Queens Walk
London SE1 2AA