Thursday 29 October 2009

London Concrete refused to fit cyclist sensors on killer lorry

Cynthia Barlow, chairwoman of campaign organisation RoadPeace, whose 24-year-old daughter Alex Jane McVitty was killed in a collision with a cement mixer in 2000, said: "After my daughter was killed, I bought shares in the company - which is now Cemex. One of the things Cemex did was put sensors down the left-hand side of the vehicle which alert the driver if there is somebody on the inside.

"Three years ago, I asked London Concrete to do the same. But they have only installed half the system - the part that warns others it is turning left.

London Concrete declined to comment.

Ms Goosen's flatmate, Cristina Schoenborn, joined calls for companies operating heavy vehicles to be forced to install further safety devices. The 30-year-old translator backed the Standard's Safer Cycling campaign and called for all lorries to be fitted with proximity sensors.

She said: “London is not safe for cyclists. I used to ride my bike, but not any more.

“People may argue that fitting sensors would cost too much but it is a price worth paying. How much does a death cost, in terms of ambulances, medical costs and coroners' courts?