Lorry speed limit may increase by 25 per cent

The Government is proposing to raise the speed limit for lorries on rural roads by up to 25 per cent. The national speed limit for heavy goods vehicles on single carriageway roads is currently 40mph, but there are moves to increase it to either 45mph or 50mph.

Road haulage companies argue that the 40 mph speed limit causes: "unnecessary cost to vehicle operators, congestion, avoidable overtaking accidents and creates an uneven playing field for businesses"

It does not follow that increases in speed reduce congestion and there are many environmental impacts and potential effects on road safety to be considered not least the increased risk to cyclists.

According to cycling charity, CTC, an organisation that objects strongly to the proposals, lorries are already involved in 19% of cyclists’ deaths despite accounting for just 5% of motor vehicle mileage on Britain’s roads.

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Lorry bans

Rather than relaxing the laws relating to HGVs in rural areas, there is strong argument for enforcing existing laws - 70 per cent of lorries break the current speed limit of single carriageway roads - and going further by banning them in certain areas. Lorries weighing over three-and-a-half tonnes present such a risk to cyclists in urban areas that they should be removed and a more appropriate means of delivery found, according to a recent academic report.

The report, Deaths of cyclists in London: Trends from 1992 to 2006, shows that over the space of fourteen years freight vehicles were involved in over half of all incidents. And if those figures did not paint a bleak enough picture of the risk posed by HGVs in London, it seems that it may be even worse. The situation is not helped by the many thousands of additional lorry journeys associated with preparation for the 2012 Olympics.

Increasing risk

To put the figures into context it is important to remember that cyclists’ overall death rate has been declining, but there are those who argue that had the recent decline in car/cyclist deaths been taken into account, the study would have shown that deaths associated with lorries now represent an even higher proportion.

If you watch out for anything, make it a left-turning lorry

Large lorries in towns pose a disproportionately high risk to cyclists. Of particular danger is the left-turning lorry – the driver of which may not see a cyclist in his near side mirror. Safety mirrors, when fitted to the vehicle and occasionally traffic lights, can help by minimizing a lorry’s blind spot, but cyclists need to keep their wits about them when in close proximity to large lorries.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “The best piece of advice for cyclists in towns and cities is to give lorries, coaches and buses a wide berth. At junctions and side turnings be aware of lorries approaching from behind on the road that may be about to turn left and at lights do not position yourself directly in front of large vehicles – the driver may pull away without having seen you.”

Do I need cycle insurance?

The short answer is yes. Bikes are vulnerable to theft and in the case of an accident you may need to seek compensation or even deal with a claim by someone else. Cycle insurance from the ETA includes new-for-old replacement, third party insurance, personal accident cover and if you breakdown, a recovery service for you and your bike.