Safer lorries

Lorries are involved in half of cyclist fatalities and a fifth of pedestrian fatalities. Our campaigning has taken the most dangerous lorries off our streets.

Our campaigning has led to:

• The creation of the world’s first lorry driver field of vision rating system (Direct Vision Standard, 0-5 stars).
• A Transport for London decision to allow only lorries into London that are at least 1* Direct Vision Standard (or have mitigating measures) from March 1st 2021, with the bar rising to only lorries that are at least 3* Direct Vision Standard in 2024.
• A London-wide Safer Lorry Scheme that requires vehicles have safety features
• A Mayoral commitment to take the most dangerous lorries off our streets
• The adoption by the EU of regulations to build only lorries that have significantly improved direct vision, starting 2026.

The Direct Vision Standard

Many lorries operating in London have blind spots requiring drivers to constantly check six mirrors for other road users in busy, narrow streets.

The primary danger to cyclists is where the lorry is turning left and the driver doesn’t spot a cyclist to the front and left. The primary danger to pedestrians is when the vehicle is moving off and the driver doesn’t see a pedestrian crossing just below his or her windscreen.

Direct Vision lorries have cabs like buses used in airports and refuse trucks. We want all urban lorries to look more like this, rather than vehicles designed for motorway use with very high driver cabs which obstruct the driver’s view of a pedestrian or cyclist below.

Our campaigning work on Direct Vision lorries has led to a world’s first driver vision standard for lorry design and permit scheme to remove the lorries with most restricted vision from our roads. In turn this has also led to EU-wide vision standards for new lorries and lorry models coming in from 2026.

Transport for London has already introduced regulations that require large lorries (12 tonnes plus)  to meet a one star standard for direct vision from 2021 or be fitted with measures to mitigate danger including cameras and alert systems both for the driver and for other road users (alerting them that a lorry is turning). As of 2024 all large lorries entering or working in London will have to meet a three star standard or be fitted with enhanced mitigation measures.