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(Interviewer) Fiona Hall, Liberal Democrat MEP for the North-East.
You’re the MEP spear-heading this campaign in the European Parliament.
How much was it inspired by the tragic death of Eilidh Cairns?
Very much so, because it was when
the family of Eilidh Cairns came to see me
that I realised how important it was to do something about this;
and also that we could do something at a European level;
and that was really the inspiration to do this written declaration
and get this support from MEPs from across the European Union.
(Interviewer) And how common is this?
Obviously a tragedy for this particular family;
but how common is this?
People being knocked over
and maybe killed because of lorry blind-spots?
Unfortunately it is quite common.
It’s estimated that around 2000 people
are killed each year on the roads across Europe,
and many of them are from…
the circumstances are very similar to the case with Eilidh Cairns,
that the lorry driver has simply not been able to see
the cyclist near to his vehicle,
and we have to do something
about the fact that there are these blind-spots,
otherwise this type of tragic collision
is just going to carry on happening.
And it is so avoidable.
It is desperately sad that these collisions are taking place,
when in fact it would be easy to put in technology that would stop them.
(Interviewer) So what are you doing about this?
What is this written declaration that you’ve launched
and are now trying to get momentum behind
here at the European Parliament?
A written declaration is something that
you lay down in the European Parliament,
and if you can get more than half the members
of the European Parliament to sign it,
that means it has the support of
the European Parliament; it has a majority.
And that means that
whatever you have asked to happen
will then go forward.
So we are asking the Commission
to push for a number of new things on lorries
to improve safety; particularly sensors
that will make a noise,
a sort of beeping noise,
when a cyclist or a pedestrian is nearby.
We have this technology for parking our cars;
it’s really very, very cheap these days.
It would have no cost implications for lorry drivers,
haulage firms, and yet it isn’t in place at the moment.
Some companies, very responsibly,
have put it on their own lorries, but that’s entirely voluntary,
and what we want to see happen is for this to be
part of the safety regulations for lorries,
that these sensors that make a noise
when somebody is nearby
will be fitted as standard.
And we feel that that’s the way
to make sure that these collisions don’t happen in future.
(Interviewer) And you’re talking about new lorries there;
but would you also like to see a requirement for
older lorries to be retro-fitted with this kind of technology?
There would have to be an
impact assessment on the cost on that;
but I was very encouraged just last week
in a conversation with the company which
has fitted these sensors on all its lorries,
and I was told that the cost is very low indeed; maximum £600,
and you know the cost of a huge articulated lorry or a huge cement mixer –
it’s peanuts as part of the overall cost of the vehicle.
And in terms of the peace of mind for the drivers themselves,
who are completely traumatised
when they realise that they have
knocked somebody over because
they simply haven’t been able to see it,
it would be also, I believe,
very cheap at the price to actually fit it,
retro-fit it, as well as on new vehicles.
(Interviewer) So you are trying to get
half or more of the European Parliament’s MEPs to sign up to this.
How are you doing on that?
Are you confident that you are going to get
the level of support that you need to take this forward?
It’s a big struggle,
and we’ve been working incredibly hard.
We couldn’t do it if it wasn’t for
the campaigners themselves,
who have come all the way to Strasbourg this week
in order to ask MEPs directly
to sign this written declaration;
and it has made a tremendous difference.
The number of MEPs who have signed this week
as a result of the campaigners is amazing;
and so we are not there yet,
but we are working extremely hard,
and we are cautiously optimistic that
if we can just keep the momentum up,
we’ll be able to do it.
Not many written declarations do get passed,
because it is hard work to get all MEPs
from all countries on board;
but the campaigners are working so hard
that I really think we have a chance of doing this.
(Interviewer) And how compelling, do you think,
that personal tragedy,
the death of Eilidh Cairns,
has been in actually persuading
MEPs to sign up to this,
persuading them that action needs to be taken?
I think it has really played a part,
because if somebody says to you personally,
you know, this is what happened,
you get a personal response from the MEP;
and some MEPs have said, ‘Yes',
I mean, I know somebody who has been killed too,
or ‘I cycle, I’ve been in that sort of situation.’
And I think it is democracy at its best.
It’s actually bringing people directly into contact
with the elected members of the European Parliament.
We talk a lot about there being a distance between politicians and people,
and this is actually people coming and engaging
in conversation directly with members of the European Parliament.
And I find it very inspiring as a democratic process,
as well as the importance of the issue itself.
(Interviewer) And just finally, if you can be successful
and you can change the law,
would that be something of a legacy,
for the memory of Eilidh Cairns?
Yes, very much. I think that that’s what
her friends and family would really like to see,
that out of this very tragic circumstance
has come something better
which means that other families don’t suffer
the tragedy and the trauma that they have.