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Islington Tribune - by TOM FOOT
Published: 2 May 2008

MP: More mirrors will cut cyclist toll

MP Emily Thornberry believes the government must act now to tighten safety measures before another cyclist dies in an accident with a lorry.
The Labour MP for Islington South and Finsbury has asked why plans to fit lorries with special mirrors will apply to only half the country’s fleet.
She was speaking a year after the tragic deaths of two cyclists in Islington.
Ms Thornberry told the Tribune: “It leaves me absolutely speechless when I think there are drivers in vehicles on the roads that cannot see pedestrians or cyclists in front or beside them.
“This is a matter of absolute urgency. Not many cyclists die on the roads in London, because the traffic is generally moving too slowly.
“But one more would be too many.”
Ms Thornberry said she had been in contact with the families of Ameila Zollner, 24, and Madeleine Wright, 26, who were killed in the same week in March last year.
Ms Thornberry said: “I have promised the families to keep up the pressure on the government about the new laws. I understand the legislation must be enforceable. But the government is giving too much leeway to the haulage companies.”
Of 21 cyclists killed in accidents involving lorries in London between January 1999 and May 2004, 85 per cent were women.
The Department for Transport has ended its consultation on plans to “retro-fit” mirrors to “fixed-axle” lorries. It now says more than half will be exempt from the rules.
Transport junior minister Jim Fitzpatrick, told Ms Thornberry: “There are approximately 419,000 currently registered goods vehicles and 161,000 of these are exempt from the retro-fit requirement because the cab height is too low for the mirrors to be installed.
“Around 157,000 vehicles will be upgraded by the retro-fit requirement and the remaining 100,000 are exempt because they were registered prior to 2000.”

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