Cyclists were given the chance to sit in a lorry cab Photo: Molly Malone

A partnership between the Metropolitan Police, Team London Bridge, Better Bankisde, Berkely Homes and Southwark Council aimed to help around 150 cyclists attending the Lorries for Savvy Cyclists Event that took place last Wednesday at Tooley Street.

Safety tutorials took place throughout the three-hours event. The modules included a talk to the Met Police Cycle Task Force, the experience of sitting on a HGV (heavy goods vehicle) cab in order to understand its blindspots and a bicycle security check provided by Dr. Bike.

This initiative was followed by the death of six cyclists in 2 weeks in November. Harry Lewis, Managing Director of Berkeley Homes, said: “The recent tragic cycling fatalities in the capital highlight the importance of road safety in London and the purpose of the Savvy Cyclists event is to educate all road users about better road safety. As London’s premier developer, we feel it is our responsibility to facilitate these training sessions where cyclists can trade places with a lorry driver and see the road from their perspective.”

In 2010, around 1,600 passed everyday through the London Bridge area from 7am to 10am  in contrast to 665 private owned cars, according to data from the TFL.

More cyclist safety tutorials at the Lorries for Savvy Cyclists events are expected to take place next year.