Cyclist safety campaign leads to law change on lorry design

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【Summary】A new road safety law will require heavy-goods vehicles in 29 countries, including the UK, to be designed with larger windows to reduce blind spots and improve visibility for cyclists. The law change comes after a campaign by Kate Cairns, whose sister Eilidh was killed while cycling to work. The new regulation is expected to save hundreds, if not thousands, of lives.

FutureCar Staff Sep 28, 2023 11:26 PM PT

Cyclist safety campaign leads to law change on lorry design

A campaigner has expressed her pride in the upcoming introduction of a new road safety law in 29 countries, including the United Kingdom. The law will require heavy-goods vehicles to be designed with larger windows to reduce blind spots and improve visibility for vulnerable road users such as cyclists. Kate Cairns, who has been campaigning for this change since her sister Eilidh was killed in a cycling accident involving an HGV in 2009, shared her journey with ITV.

Eilidh's tragic incident occurred on 5 February 2009 as she was cycling to work in London. The driver of the HGV involved pleaded guilty to a charge of driving with defective vision and received a penalty of three points on their license and a £200 fine. It is worth noting that the same driver was previously jailed in 2012 for causing the death of a 97-year-old pedestrian while driving another HGV.

Since the loss of her sister, Kate and her family have been advocating for improved safety measures for cyclists around large vehicles through their See Me Save Me campaign. The upcoming law change, which mandates new HGV designs to meet the Direct Vision Standard (DVS) by 2026 and requires all HGVs to comply by 2029, is seen as a significant achievement by Kate. She believes that this regulation, implemented in her sister's name, will save numerous lives.

The revised law will ensure that lorry cabs are equipped with larger windows, enhancing the visibility of vulnerable road users and reducing blind spots. Kate expressed her pride in the positive impact this change will have, stating, "It's a huge achievement done in Eilidh's name because she was such an amazing person. I had such love for her. It was so unacceptable and tragic that the world lost a person like her who had so much to give. That's what drove my tenacity to continue. I am proud to think that in her name hundreds, if not thousands, of lives will be saved with this new regulation."

As a civil engineer, Kate has been astounded by the number of deaths caused by construction industry vehicles on UK roads. She highlighted the stark contrast between the safety regulations and measures on construction sites and the disproportionate number of cyclist and pedestrian fatalities occurring beyond those boundaries. Kate believes that her professional background positions her well to effect change within the industry, particularly in addressing the significant blind spots around vehicles. She has dedicated over a decade to campaigning and now works as a professional speaker, trainer, and advisor in construction logistics, focusing on managing the associated risks.

Kate's efforts have not been without challenges. In 2019, she encountered a woman falsely claiming to be Eilidh's aunt and speaking out against a cycleway on the route where Eilidh lost her life. Kate clarified that no such relative exists and emphasized the importance of accurate representation in discussions surrounding road safety.

According to the Department for Transport's casualty statistics for 2021, 40% of reported cyclist casualties involving a collision with an HGV resulted in the rider being killed or seriously injured. This figure is significantly higher than the fatality rate of 0.4% for collisions involving the driver of a car. These statistics underscore the urgent need for improved safety measures and the importance of initiatives like the new road safety law.