London Road Safety Council President James Cracknell has called for road users to end their ‘turf war’ to help improve safety on the Capital’s roads.
James Cracknell made the plea to delegates at the City of London Corporation’s ‘Safer in the City’ conference on 12 Sept, which was hosted by the City law firm FieldFisher. The event focused on reducing the danger faced by London’s vulnerable road users and promoting active travel within the Square Mile.
In his opening address to delegates, James Cracknell said every individual road user – whether a cyclist, pedestrian or motorist – needs to take greater personal responsibility to help achieve the ultimate aim of zero fatalities on London’s roads.
The event also saw the launch of a newly liveried London taxi (pictured) which encourages taxi drivers and cyclists to look out for each other.
Another speaker at the event, Val Shawcross, deputy mayor for transport, pledged to make walking and cycling safer and easier; highlighting the issues around obesity that can be tackled with more exercise. Ms Shawcross said that if people feel safe they are more likely to walk.
Adding a topical element to the event, Andy Lewis, fresh from winning the PT2 triathlon at the Rio Paralympics, spoke to delegates via video message. Andy lost his leg when he was involved in a collision whilst riding a motorbike in the City when he was 16 years of age.
The Safer in the City conference and James Cracknell’s speech featured in a news item in the Evening Standard on 19 Sept (not available to read online).