London’s streets are going to be safer due to the new HGV driver training that was approved. There will be a Certificate of Professional Competence offered with the training programme to ensure that all drivers have had on-bike cycle awareness training. The training is going to involve practise and theory discussions to ensure that drivers are more aware of the bicyclists on the road. Drivers are going to be sent around London Borough of Southwark for the training. On board they will carry a cycle trainer.
It is said that one person will be in the cab of a truck with the engine revving while the other drivers in the course will be on bikes so that they can feel what it is like to have the lorry noise around them and how they can be more aware of the bikes as they drive through the city. There seems to be quite a bit of positive feedback so far from the course addition.
HGV drivers who have cycled on the roads are going to be more aware of what a cyclist feels and experiences, which means they will be more aware of the vulnerable road users. The theory is that this will lead to less deaths and injuries to cyclists.
There is another school of thought that has yet to be addressed when it comes to driver training. While it is true that the drivers need training for their HGV and should examine HGV training prices for the best training, they are not the only ones at fault.
The UK cyclists have been placing most of the blame on HGV drivers because they have the larger vehicle and have been trained to drive these vehicles. Yet, it should be mentioned that no cyclist goes through the same training. It is imperative that the cyclists experience certain things too, so that they know exactly what it is like to drive an HGV vehicle.
HGV vehicles are not easy to manoeuvre and if a bike is in the various blind spots a driver may not know they are there. Additionally, an HGV vehicle needs a longer stopping distance than the average car. Cyclists have to be aware of this so they too can avoid the issues of being injured or killed. Until both sides truly understand what the other side contends with nothing can be solved with absolutes. The phrase “walk a mile in my shoes” is quite apt in this situation.