Safety campaign targets truckers and cyclists

The Road Safety Authority and the gardaí have launched a joint safety operation targeting cyclists and truck drivers. Marking the start of Bike Week, the aim of the campaign is to highlight the existence of ‘blind spots’ around trucks.

“A blind spot is an area around a vehicle not visible to the driver and there are many on a truck which pose added risks for both cyclists and pedestrians,” said Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe at the launch.

“Sadly, this issue has directly led to a number of fatal and serious injury collisions. Ireland has taken progressive steps to improve the indirect vision of a truck driver by requiring the fitment of additional mirrors on the cab since 2010 which has halved the number of deaths linked to the blind spot issue. However, it hasn’t eliminated casualties.”