How Boston Is Protecting Cyclists, One Truck at a Time
Mayor Marty Walsh has pioneered a new city truck ordinance that may help reduce some of the dangers that Boston’s cyclists face daily. A “Truck Side Guard Ordinance’’ was approved today following a unanimous vote by the city council.
Created in partnership with the Boston Cyclists Union and City Councilor Ayanna Pressley, the mandate will enforce heightened safety requirements on all city-contracted trucks. Specifically, vehicles over 10,000 pounds will now feature “side guards’’ to prevent cyclists from falling under the truck’s wheels in the event of a crash. Convex mirrors, cross-over mirrors, and blind-spot awareness decals are also included in the program’s measures in an effort to prevent crashes.
“We’re seeing more Bostonians choosing bikes as their primary mode of transportation, but with this increase in use, we’ve also seen an increase in crashes between cyclists and vehicles,’’ Walsh said in a statement. “Truck side guards are a low-cost feature that can be installed on trucks and that have the potential to save a life.’’
While the new standards apply only to city-contracted trucks, Pressley also called upon private owners of similar trucks to “follow suit.’’
The National Transportation Safety Board recommended that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration adopt the same protocol, but it has yet to do so. The initiative, the NTSB noted, wouldn’t just protect bicyclists: people in cars would also reduce the risk of their vehicle sliding under tractor trailers, which can cause serious injury or death. The board reported in April that “large truck side impacts comprised 15 percent of fatal two-vehicle collisions between large trucks and passenger vehicles during 2011.’’
According to the mayor’s office, Boston is the first city in the country to compel city trucks to install guards. Countries including Japan, China, and Brazil require trucks to have guards, according to the Cyclists Union.
Though the ordinance is brand new and won’t take effect for another 180 days, it may have already saved a bicyclist’s life. Last July, a city garbage truck struck a man on a Hubway bike. According to Boston Magazine, the truck had side guards installed as part of a pilot program. The cyclist survived.
“Since 2010, 11 cyclists in Boston have died as a result of crashes with motor vehicles, and seven of those fatal incidents occurred between a cyclist and either a truck or a bus,’’ the mayor’s office said in a statement. “Mandated side guards on large trucks reduced deaths by 61 percent and serious injuries by 13 percent for cyclists in the United Kingdom according to a study completed by Transport For London.’’
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