A safety campaign has been launched to stop cyclists being crushed by lorries.

Council vehicles in Camden will display warning signs on back windscreens reading "Cyclists - beware of passing this vehicle on the inside."

The pilot scheme follows a spate of accidents in which riders have been trapped between pavement railings and a truck or bus turning left.

Chris Lines, head of road safety for Transport for London - which supplied the stickers and hopes to extend the scheme across the capital - said it would encourage drivers and riders to be more vigilant.

"We are making progress in cutting the number of cyclists hurt on London's roads, but the number involved in collisions with large vehicles is still too high," he said. "By working with Camden, I hope we can get the message out to cyclists to be careful when riding near larger vehicles, and also to help drivers to watch out for cyclists."

Latest figures show the number of serious injuries from cycling accidents in London has almost doubled in six years. In 2000/01, 422 riders were admitted to hospital, but in 2006/07 the numberwas 819.


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