Road safety top priority at cycle event
Hills Quarry Products support MPA’s Cycle Safe Scheme with vehicle display in Devizes
LAST month, hundreds of schoolchildren and cyclists of all ages were able to learn more about cycle safety around lorries when they visited a vehicle display on The Green in Devizes.
On the same day that the Tour of Britain passed through the Wiltshire town, 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 youngsters 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 giving practical tips on ways to prevent potential dangers were also handed out.
Peter Andrew, group director 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 big 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, communications manager with the MPA, said: ‘We want to roll our Cycle Safe campaign out across the UK and community events like the one which Hills organized 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 schoolchildren and members of the public were keen to experience a driver’s perspective of the road and learn about the areas of limited visibility to avoid around lorries when on a bike.’
Hills Quarry Products have been shortlisted in the MPA’s annual Health & Safety Awards for the work they have done to improve road safety across their fleet of trucks and drivers. The result will be announced in November.
