Safer Lorries consultation launched by Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson has announced that a consultation is now underway that will prohibit lorries that do not use certain safety features from driving on the streets of London. At present UK law states that whilst most lorries must use side guards and extended view mirrors, there are certain exemptions which apply for older vehicles and construction lorries, but with the new proposals these exemptions will not apply on the London's roads. Under the new proposed scheme there will still be a few exemptions which apply based on specific vehicles due to the way that they have been designed.

It is estimated several lives could have been saved in London in the last 5 years where lorries had collided with cyclists had these proposals been made law earlier.

If lorries are found to be breaching these rules by driving on the roads without the appropriate safety features then they can be punished with criminal or civil sanctions.

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