Exchanging Places events are taking place in Southwark and Hammersmith & Fulham
Organised annually by the road safety charity Brake, Road Safety Week provides an opportunity for communities to take action on road safety – and a focal point for professionals to boost road safety awareness and engagement.
Road Safety Week 2019, which takes place between 18-24 November, encourages road users to ‘Step up for Safe Streets’ and play a part in the creation of a safe and healthy future.
Met Police support in Hammersmith & Fulham
Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s transportation and road safety team is supporting Road Safety Week, with additional activities scheduled throughout the week.
Among these is Exchanging Places – facilitated by the Met Police Cycle Safety Team – which enables cyclists to see for themselves the blind spots from a HGV driver’s perspective.
Other activities include:
- Traffic speed monitoring and enforcement of 20mph areas through Community Roadwatch (in association with Transport for London).
- Close pass: cyclist and traffic safety (also known as ‘Space For Cyclists’).
- Advising motorists to be especially mindful of pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists, particularly as seasonal weather and morning and evening hours of darkness are encroaching.
This work supplements the ongoing road safety programme operating throughout the borough by the road safety team, covering the road network. Practical road safety training workshops are carried out in schools, nurseries and children’s centres.
City of London event celebrates active travel
A one-day event taking place in the City of London on Thursday (21 Nov) will discuss how to make central London a better place for walking and cycling.
Organised by the City of London’s Active City Network, the Active City Challenge event will begin with a series of presentations, with Dame Sarah Storey, walking and cycling commissioner for Sheffield, invited to deliver the keynote address.
This will be followed by a panel discussion on how to make central London streets ‘even better for walking and cycling’, chaired by alderman Alison Gowman.
The speakers comprise employers and sustainable transport experts including:
- Harry Badham, UK director of development, AXA REIM
- Nina Swallow, environmental, health & safety, Nomura
- Alison Turner, director, operations & infrastructure, Framestore
After the panel discussion, the Havebike City Cycle Challenge will pit 10 teams of four on static bicycles to find the quickest team, with individual prizes also on offer.
The Active City Network says the City of London has the highest levels of both walking and cycling in London, and is working with businesses to improve the safety and comfort of its streets for active travel.
All proceeds from the event will go to Road Peace, a charity which supports victims of road collisions.
Exchanging places event in Southwark uses new 3D goggles
On Wednesday (20 Nov), an ‘Exchanging Places’ event took place in Southwark – organised by local road safety officers and the Metropolitan Cycle Task Team.
Exchanging Places is designed to provide cyclists with the opportunity to see for themselves the blind spots from a HGV driver’s perspective.
Exchanging Places took place in Southwark on 20 November
At the event, officers spoke to 30 riders – inviting them to wear interactive 3D goggles to watch a short virtual reality road safety film.
The film was shot inside the cab of an HGV lorry – and the goggles put the cyclist in the driving seat of the cab, where they were talked through the blind spots of the vehicle.
Southwark Council says the ‘exciting new technology’ delivered the road safety message in a fresh and appealing way without the need for an expensive lorry and driver
The event was also supported by Specsavers, who provided a free hi-viz jacket for each cyclist.
Cycle training in Barking and Dagenham
Barking and Dagenham’s Road Safety Week activities focus on cycle training, with hi-vis tabards to be given to participants.
Updated: 21 November 2019