Madam, - I wish to respond to Kevin Myers's Irishman's Diary of January 27th on cyclists' deaths involving heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).
The Irish Road Haulage Association has been party to three separate initiatives directly relating to the blind spot on heavy goods vehicles and this is an on-going activity for the association and members. These initiatives were geared to creating awareness among all road users, including hauliers.
We have excoriated the few truck importers who have failed to fit convex mirrors as standard equipment on their vehicles. Their failure to fit such critical equipment on new vehicles is dumbfounding given that a convex mirror can be easily fitted to a new or used vehicle for under €100, which is nothing when you consider that it saves lives.
In addition, we have also pleaded with transport Ministers to provide for the mandatory fitting of these mirrors as part of the DOE test (required for commercial vehicles). If this logical suggestion was implemented every HGV would have its mirrors fitted as a priority. This would go a long way to greatly reducing these unnecessary fatalities.
We continually run in-house information campaigns for our members on the need to be vigilant in urban areas with regard to cyclists, pedestrians and mothers with buggies.
The IRHA first launched its "Blind Spot" safety awareness programme in July 2004 in conjunction with the National Safety Council and the National Council on Ageing and Older People. Two further awareness campaigns have taken place since then. This issue will continue to be a priority for the IRHA until fitting of "cyclops" mirrors becomes mandatory for HGVs. - Yours, etc,
VINCENT CAULFIELD,
President,
Irish Road
Haulage Association,
Blanchardstown,
Dublin 15.