New, safer designs for a range of construction vehicles were on show at a major event as part of the freight industry’s efforts to improve road safety and better protect cyclists and pedestrians.
CILT Safety Forum to premiere road safety film at high-profile launch event
The Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport’s Transport & Logistics Safety Forum is to launch its film: Our Vehicles, Our Safety, Our Responsibility: Improving Road Safety for Vulnerable Road Users at a high-profile conference on 31st March in Bedford.
The film, 14 months in the making, has been created to highlight the need for good road safety practice. Sponsored by DHL, Transport for London, Travis Perkins, Skanska, Road Operations Safety Council, Wincanton, Wilson James and AA DriveTech the film is a unique and creative way for leading transport and logistics companies to work together in raising safety awareness.
HGVs without safety equipment to be banned from London as Mayor confirms Britain’s first ‘Safer Lorry Scheme’
The Mayor, Boris Johnson, Transport for London (TfL) and London Councils have given the go-ahead for a London-wide ban on any lorry not fitted with safety equipment to protect cyclists and pedestrians.
The scheme, which received 90 per cent support via a public consultation, will require vehicles of more than 3.5 tonnes to be fitted with sideguards, along with Class V and Class VI mirrors giving the driver a better view of cyclists and pedestrians around their vehicle.
The scheme will commence operation on 1 September 2015, as soon as all of the 600 warning signs are in place. Operators that are FORS accredited based on the revised standards from 9 July will meet this requirement.
Abolition of the counterpart to the photocard driving licence – free DVLA Communication toolkit
From 8 June 2015, the paper counterpart of a photocard licence will no longer be issued by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). To raise awareness of the changes DVLA has created a toolkit that hosts a range of publicity materials such as web banners, a video, editorial and images.
FORS bronze requirement ‘D1 Licensing and qualifications’ requires fleet operators to ensure that the licences and qualifications of all drivers (including agency drivers) are checked by a competent person prior to driving, and then at least every six months. At FORS silver operators are required to ensure that all driver licences and endorsements are verified through a service that directly accesses current DVLA data and any risks associated with endorsements or restriction codes are effectively managed. FORS accredited operators can access driver licence checking offers via the FORS Discount Services page to help meet these requirements.