Ringway Jacobs links with Cycle Safety Shield to reduce HGV casualties

Integrated highway services provider Ringway Jacobs has linked with Cycle Safety Shield in a bid to help reduce collisions with cyclists and HGVs.

As a contractor for Transport for London, as well as Essex County Council, Buckinghamshire County Council and Cheshire East Council, Ringway Jacobs will now promote the use of video recognition software created by Cycle Safety Shield.

Having consulted with the London Cycling Campaign, Cycle Safety Shield revised its early radio frequency based devices (first seen at TRL’s ‘Dutch’ infrastructure demo) alerting HGVs to a cyclist or pedestrain’s presence and is now using a video-based system that identifies cyclists, pedestrians and motor bikes only.

After consultation with the London Cycling Campaign, Met Police and council Boroughs it became apparent that the distribution of radio frequency tags to 100 per cent of cyclists and pedestrians in London would be almost impossible. This would mean that people that were not tagged could be placed in a situation where the driver assumed they were wearing a tag, putting them in a dangerous situation.

Jon Guest, director of Cycle Safety Shield commented: “We are very proud to be working in partnership with Ringway Jacobs to improve on the ongoing work already underway to stop collisions between HGV`s and cyclists in London. Hopefully we can get further London contractors on board to test the system on their HGV`s in the near future and start to show the safety benefits to London cyclists and HGV drivers.”

The Cycle Safety Shield System, adapted to suit the need from a railways industry system called ‘Rail Safety Shield’, is the only system of its kind currently available and will be tested by Ringway Jacobs on their Construction HGV`s this month. The Cycle Safety Shield will not detect other objects such as other motorists, or street furniture.

Ringway Jacobs describes itself as "a fully integrated highway services provider able to offer an extensive range of services that includes transport activities such as asset management, network management and routine and cyclic maintenance activities."

Www.safetyshieldsystems.com