Recently we were invited again to supply one of our trucks at an Exchanging Places event at Elephant and Castle in London, organised by the Metropolitan Police. The objective is to enable cyclists to swap places with Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) Drivers and see the road from their perspective. This follows consistent efforts by our Logistics and Communications Teams to work closely with the Met Police over many years to help reduce accidents.

An HGV has several blind spots where a cyclist on the road cannot be seen at all. At these events cyclists can sit in the HGV and watch as another cyclist travels alongside the HGV to the front of the vehicle. This allows the cyclist in the HGV to see exactly where the blind spots occur. This can be quite an eye-opening experience for cyclists who may not realise that in some positions they can completely disappear from the view of the driver. Officers provide a demonstration of the best places for a cyclist to position themselves when passing a HGV and a number of officers, who specialise in road safety, are on hand to answer any questions. At the events, cyclists are also offered free cycle security marking, a free bicycle MOT and lots of freebies – including high visibility rucksack covers, vests and arm bands.

More information can be found here: https://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/advice-and-support/safer-roads/Pages/Exchanging-Places-.aspx