Ford has set up a scheme that allows drivers and cyclists to swap roles to view the experience of each other on the road.
WheelSwap is part of Ford’s ‘Share the Road’ campaign and the American manufacturer has partnered with the London Cycling Campaign (LCC) to try and reduce cyclist deaths caused by large goods vehicles (LGVs) and other modes of transport.
Nationwide, 16 per cent of cyclist deaths are caused by LGVs – while in London, 70 per cent of all cyclist fatalities were caused by goods vehicles, despite covering only four per cent of the capital’s road miles.
With the help of the Ford Transport Operations team, LCC senior policy and development officer Tom Bogdanowicz used both virtual reality and being passenger in a series of LGVs to show how cyclists should be treated on the road.
Chief executive of the LCC, Ashok Sinha, said: “LCC is working with TfL and industry to help new lorry designs with fewer blind spots become the norm.
See Available Ford deals“But even then, it remains important that LGV drivers and cyclists take simple steps to put themselves in each other’s shoes and help avoid collisions. Programmes like ‘WheelSwap’ and ‘Safer Urban Driving’ help achieve this and we encourage more drivers and cyclists to take part in them.”
Cyclists usually have to deal with people not seeing them, so they are then at risk of being ‘doored’ or having to run over potholes – especially on narrower roads.
The government has recently announced a revision to the Highway Code, including the ‘Dutch reach’ technique, where a driver would be encouraged to use their left hand to open the door and therefore be looking over their right shoulder to see any traffic or cyclists in their blindspot.
Andrew Main, Ford Transport Operations driver trainer and DVSA instructor, said: “Having a change of perspectives was certainly insightful. A greater understanding of the reasons behind cyclists’ actions is very helpful for an LGV driver as we decide on how to approach certain situations.”
