The campaigners have launched their new Safer Urban Lorry design following a spate of fatalities caused by construction vehicles hitting cyclists.
The Safer Urban Lorry features a lower seating position and larger windows so the driver can see much more of what is happening immediately around their vehicle.
To watch a video of the new designs click here
London Cycling Campaign haulage expert and former lorry driver Charlie Lloyd said: “Our Safer Urban Lorry design is a challenge to the construction industry to use vehicles that help reduce the terrible number of people on bikes and on foot who are killed by lorries.
“The restricted view from the cab of many of today’s construction lorries means the driver often has little or no idea who or what is in their immediate vicinity, which is totally unacceptable.”
Geoff Lee, whose wife Hilary was killed by a lorry while cycling in Barnet in October 2012, said: “The construction industry has a duty to do everything it can to prevent more people being killed by its vehicles.
“Perhaps if more lorries were designed like this lorry, then fewer innocent people would die on our streets.”
Half the cyclist deaths in Greater London involve lorries, even though they make up only 5% of the traffic.
The most common response from lorry drivers after a fatal crash is that they didn’t see the victim in the moments leading up to the crash.
The Safer Urban Lorry design uses technology already found on many refuse trucks in British towns and cities.
Modern refuse lorries have a cab design that minimises the risk of running over refuse collectors working close to the vehicle, as well as providing greater protection for pedestrians and cyclists in residential streets.
The London Cycling Campaign has married this tried-and-tested cab design with a lower chassis from a construction lorry providing equivalent load-carrying capacity.
Campaigners claim current construction lorry designs prioritise off-road convenience and site cost saving over safety.
The believe the high driving position encourages drivers to go faster and closer to other traffic.
