Sunday September 8 2024
Swindon & Wiltshire News
Cyclists watching the Tour of Britain peloton whizz through Devizes got to learn more about cycling safety around lorries when they visited a vehicle display on The Green.
Hills Quarry Products wheeled out the three latest vehicles in their fleet to support the Mineral Products Association’s national Cycle Safe Campaign.
The campaign highlights the potential risk of cyclists undertaking lorries and getting too close to them at left-hand turns and roundabouts.
As kids and other cycle enthusiasts arrived on The Green to soak up the atmosphere of the cycle race, they were given the opportunity to sit in the cab of a lorry to understand the driver’s perspective, experience visibility issues and share their own road experiences.
Cycle Safe leaflets which give practical tips on ways to prevent potential dangers were also handed out.
Peter Andrew, group director at Hills Quarry Products, said: “We had a very positive response from everyone who visited our display. They were especially interested in the mat we placed around the front and side of the vehicle to show how large the ‘blind spot’ is around a large truck.”
“We were able to show how improvements made to our vehicles improve drivers’ awareness of cyclists and help cyclists, both young and old, be more aware of potentially dangerous zones around lorries.”
Hilary Arrowsmith, of the Mineral Products Association, said : “We want to roll our Cycle Safe campaign out across the UK and community events like this one which Hills organised in Devizes are key to this and help to highlight important safety messages.
“There was a great buzz on The Green, with The Tour of Britain coming straight past Hills vehicle display. Lots of school children and members of the public were keen to experience a driver’s perspective of the road and learn about areas of limited visibility to avoid around lorries when on a bike, at”.
Hills Quarry Products has been shortlisted in the MPA’s annual Health & Safety Awards for the work the company has done to improve road safety across its fleet of trucks and drivers. The result will be announced in November.
