LORRY drivers took to two wheels as part of an Ealing Council safer driving initiative to promote cyclist awareness.

Even though HGVs make up just five per cent of traffic, around half of all cyclists’ deaths on London roads since 2000 have involved collisions with lorries and three of those deaths have been in Ealing.

Cllr Bassam Mahfouz met drivers at the Greenford depot before they hopped aboard their bicycles.

He said: “Road safety is a priority for us and we want to do what we can to avoid any more cyclists losing their lives in accidents involving lorries in this borough.”

Currently, more than 100 drivers have completed the training with the aim of giving lorry drivers an insight into the behaviour of cyclists.

The intensive one-day course includes taking the lorry drivers on a three-and-a-half-hour cycle ride on nearby roads to help them understand what it is like to be a cyclist on a busy road surrounded by large vehicles.

The course was delivered by Cycle Training UK, a non-profit group.

Cllr Mahfouz, a regular cyclist himself, said: “If all road users have a real appreciation of those in other modes of transport, it’s a major step to making our streets safer for all.”