Sideguards on heavy goods vehicles: assessing the effects on pedal cyclists injured by trucks overtaking or turning left

In recent years there has been a substantial increase in pedal cycle traffic but at the same time the number of pedal cyclists killed and seriously injured in road accidents has reduced, implying a very substantial reduction in the casualty risk per km ridden. Transport for London (TfL) developed and published a “Cycle Safety Action Plan” (TfL, 2010) that proposed a wide range of actions to improve cycle safety. The actions include, under the heading “technology”, working with the freight industry to identify the most cost-effective commercial vehicle safety measures that could be fitted either to new vehicles or to the existing fleet. The action specifically states that sideguards and motion sensors will be considered. This study has drawn together the findings of research literature, in particular three recent studies that consider heavy vehicle safety generally and/or sideguards specifically, and undertaken analysis of relevant accident data in order to inform consideration of the likely effectiveness of sideguards in terms of mitigating pedal cycle casualties in London and in GB as a whole.