‘Banning HGVs is likely to negatively impact road safety’

That's the bizarre argument dreamt up by the Mineral Products Association, in response to Sadiq Khan's plan to ban 35,000 HGVs from London to make the roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

In the past two years HGVs were involved in 23% of pedestrian fatalities and 58% of cyclist deaths in London, despite accounting for just 4% of the miles driven in the city

My new safety standard for HGVs will make London's roads safer & remove the most dangerous HGVs from our roads: https://t.co/xWYYJxN5We

— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) September 30, 2016

The @MayorofLondon announcement to ban #HGVs from #London by 2020 could hinder #road #safety and new #construction: https://t.co/smzCJlmBbn

— MPA Mineral Products (@MineralProduct) October 5, 2016

You couldn't make this stuff up; some people really have been staring at minerals too long. 'Banning HGVs could hinder road safety' - it's amazing what some trade associations will say.