Time for action

[Jake]

good video for sure. lots of good info in it. Was there a shorter version mentioned?

 

[magnatom]

TFL 5 min vid:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/11687.aspx?lid=switcher#beware

I don' like the suggestion that if you know the lights are some time before changing that you can pop down the left. It still leaves every situation ti interpretation which is not infallible.

Simplify, simplify, simplify. Wait behind the HGV.

 

[magnatom]

Hi, Charlie from LCC here. I haven't followed up all of this thread yet but we are interested in anything people are doing to raise awareness of the HGV x Cyclist problem. We will be expanding the HGV section of our website, linking to all the films out there, including the metpolice, rospa, robin webb etc. It is really difficult to get all the important messages across because there is a wide range of risky interactions with lorries, not going up the left when there is any possibility of change is the most important.
Transport for London have made their own video, in a 5 minute and a 14 minute version presented as a dialogue between drivers and cyclists. It is supposed to be released today but I haven't seen the release yet. The short version is pretty good, definitely worth looking at and then seeing if we can do better. I will post a link as soon as it is publically available.
At the 'changing places' exercise in Hackney this week 400 cyclists got the chance to climb up to the driver cab and experience what a driver can and cannot see. There will be more of these events, in Russell Square on July 22 and possibly at the Hounslow Skyride on 9th august.

Thanks for popping in Charlie. Any advice or help you can provide will be most appreciated.

I've had a look at that video and it is good, just my one concern mentioned earlier.

 

[charlie_lcc]

I don' like the suggestion that if you know the lights are some time before changing that you can pop down the left. It still leaves every situation to interpretation which is not infallible.

Simplify, simplify, simplify. Wait behind the HGV.

+1 on that. There is no shorter version from TfL. They tell us there is a longer one, 14mins to be sent out to lorry companies. I haven't seen it yet.
There really is space out there for a strong 30sec video message.
-
charlie.

 

[magnatom]

+1 on that. There is no shorter version from TfL. They tell us there is a longer one, 14mins to be sent out to lorry companies. I haven't seen it yet.
There really is space out there for a strong 30sec video message.
-
charlie.

We are also hoping if the message is see to come from a ground roots movement that the press will take a bit of notice.

Obviously the problem is bad in London, but we also want this campaign to go nationwide as it isn't just a problem in London. I have witness the aftermath of a cyclist killed (from a distance) by a turning HGV here in Glasgow.

 

[Arch]

There's a chap posted in Beginners, about making TV programmes for local TV, he's based in Suffolk. Might have access to equipment, expertise etc? Someone has pointed him to this thread, might be worth someone PMing him?

http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=38600

I like that 5 min video, but agree, a 30 second one is needed, one simple message, for beginners and casual cyclists...

 

[magnatom]

Thanks for that Arch. At the moment I think Jake is up for filming, but it is good to have back up.

 

[Jake]

got a camera man. Not sure if he is good enough, but he's worked on The Bill, Wilmbledon and other TV stuff. what do you think?

 

[magnatom]

Excellent. Many thanks for sorting that! We need to arrange the rest of the crew. I'll get on the case tomorrow.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Sounds good enough to me :-)

 

[Jake]

i'm off ill from work now with cold/flu/pig flu. So going to see how things look on Monday before going back in. So it iwll be hard to find the couple of other camera guys, sound etc for it. plus signing out the kit from work. So its on hold till at earlist, monday.

 

[Origamist]

Shouldn't the campaign be inclusive of buses?

HGVs (or LGVs as I keep forgetting to write) present a greater threat and the emphasis should be on them, IMO.

 

[CopperBrompton]

I agree: it's a 30-second message, it needs to be kept simple and focused

 

[sheddy]

saw this (budget) video today http://www.hertsdirect.org/distracteddriver scoll down to play,
and wondered if a cab centric view(s) might negate the need to film a moving truck

 

[magnatom]

Ok. Just to summarise... at the moment, we are

Waiting to hear from Jake if he can get a full film crew. (hope the flu is better!)

Waiting to hear from Rythm Thief about a possible HGV.



Thinking about a poster, how about a picture of a cyclist and an HGV from behind with the cyclist in a very small gap between the HGV and a barrier at the side with the 'This Lorry has a crush on you' slogan.

You cold also have a second poster with a hard hitting picture of a crushed bike, helmet, personal effects under a lorry wheel, with the modified slogan of 'This lorry had a crush on you'

You could have some further information in smaller print (i.e. don't cycle up the left of HGV's etc).

Personally I think real photos would have bigger effect on those who saw it.

From the viral perspective could we do something with the word Lorry, i.e. change it to Lori (i.e. a name) so it would be something along the lines of 'Lori has a crush on you'. Of course e-mails with this heading might be spam filtered etc. But on fliers on clean graffiti this could work, if we had lots of fliers with this on it, it might just get folk curious enough to check out the website (i.e. lorihasacrush.co.uk) which would link to the real website lorryhasacrush.co.uk.

On the web site, I think as soon as it loads the video should play, so that if people don't like the website at least they will have seen the message.

Just my thoughts.