Ealing Council helping to boost cycle safety

Ealing Council has launched a new drive to boost cycle safety in the area, it has been revealed.

It recently announced that a trial of new technology for lorry drivers has shown marked improvements in safety for cyclists with 15 potential serious collisions avoided in six months.

The results from the Cycle Safety Shield detection system, showed a significant 20 per cent improvement in driver behaviour and cash fuel savings of £1,000 per vehicle per year, due to less aggressive acceleration and braking.

The system is the first of its kind to use intelligent cameras to filter out inanimate objects such as bus stops and fences, and instead monitor and detect only pedestrians, cyclists and motorbikes to eliminate blind spots around the music.

Commenting on the developments, Councillor Bassam Mahfouz, cabinet member for transport and environment, said: "We are committed to reducing lorry danger because we know they are involved in approximately two thirds of cyclist deaths in London.

"This technology can save families from hearing the tragic news of a loved one’s death. In each of the alerts during the trial the driver was travelling an average of 13.6mph, which means that 15 potentially serious or even fatal collisions were avoided because the driver was warned."

During the trial period, which ran from January to June, the system detected more than 40,000 cyclists, pedestrians and motorbikes.

However, drivers were only alerted on 15 occasions, when they became dangerously close to cyclists.

The system has so much potential that it is one of several safety systems currently being further independently tested by Transport for London on buses and lorries.

Mr Mahfouz said that the system has also helped to boost fuel efficiency in addition to promoting safety.

He added: "Some of the other technology in the market overloads drivers with constant alerts when objects get too close. When this system goes off the driver knows that a cyclist, pedestrian or motorcyclist is in danger, giving them time to brake. There is also a visual and audio warning to cyclists when a vehicle is turning left."

Published 23rd September, 2014

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