O.k. I might regret asking this question and will probably get laughed out of the forum from a few but here goes……
Borrows the flak jacket and tin hat from the trucknet armoury
I had one of these at the weekend and it got me thinking…
How do you handle a blind spot junction if you’re turning right in an HGV with a sleeper cab with or without electric mirrors?
There are several on routes I do and every time I approach those junctions all I can do is take my seat belt off and lean really far forward to see if any traffic is coming from the left hand side, the electric mirrors (if i have them) won’t bend out that far as the road is at that sort of an angle.
Some times I just drive slowly onto the road blocking the lane coming towards me and just keep edging out until I can see the road in the blind spot mirror and if any cars are coming.
Just wondered what anyone else did at these pains in the arse junctions and if I am doing anything wrong
I’d like not to think asking this I may as well be admitting I’m an incompetent driver and should just hand my licence in now and leave quietly.
When I was learning to drive a HGV my instructor told me “Even as an agency driver, always carry with you a wide angle mirror on a bracket, so you can fit it to the top of the passenger side mirror cluster”
Which would, of course, fix the problem…
But to be honest, fitting it to a new motor each morning and taking it off at night is a pain, and some companies can be funny about you attaching things to their vehicles.
You’re doing nothing wrong in my opinion Pecjam. Short of double manning just in case you come across one of these junctions, all you can do is position yourself and the truck to give yourself maximum visibility and gently ease out. If Blind Alf in his Metro can’t see you maybe he should call it a day.
Mind you, after blind Alf HAS run into you, they’ll probably blame you 'cos after all you’re one of them juggernaut driver types.
when i took my test c+e i had that problem i did not want to ask the examiner if it was clear as in the real world you may not have a passenger so what i did was as i got to the junction i took some of the right lane and got my truck straight at the junction my trailer was OK and not touching the curb and could see the road much better the road cleared and when on with my test got back and the examiner said well done passed but he did say that why didn’t you ask me at the junction i told him why and he said point taken he also said the as a driver it is your choice in any situation to use your own judgement every junction will have a different approach use what road you can if safe to do so
Try to get hold of a Fresnel lense, they help a lot. Ive got one on my left ■■■■■■, very good in my scenario at roundabouts and junctions that are blind to me, but ok for you. Your blindspot is my good sides and vice versa. Failing that, just take an exadurated swing as you come to the junc, and throw the unit back in at last second. There is a poist on here for the Fresnel lenses if you look.
Not too bad in an artic but in a rigid it’s almost impossible to pull out safely.
Agree - in an artic the cab can be taken into the hatched area and angled square to the main road - no prob,
In a rigid the only way to ensure vision is to do the same as the artic unit BUT it will leave the tail end across the oncoming lane nad if that is the only way that vision can be got then that is what is done.
If anyone wonders how I know that this is legal and deemed safe by the traffic police is that I had a worse one than this in Stroud that I did regular but there was a hedge on the right blocking any view for those entering my road from my right.
Sure enough it had to happen - a motorcycle whips in from my right and has a spill in trying to avoid my rear end which covers the whole of the incoming lane.
Cops called - bike damaged - rider was unhurt but shocked - but was even more shocked to get a booking for dangerous riding
As the cop said - You should be able to stop safely in the distance you can see to be clear and the large vehicle - me - needed to be in that position for safety.
“Agree - in an artic the cab can be taken into the hatched area and angled square to the main road - no prob”
Rog are those solid hatch markings on the pic and if so you cannot enter them unless in an emergency, but the rules are vague because of the thickness of the white line.
The ones on Mways and DC’s are a definate no no to cross as this would be an offence, unless you had to, like road works or something.
It appears it all comes down to the thickness of the solid line, again this is hard to track down in the legislation. I am not going there again
The reason they’re painted and not anti-hgv kerbs is so a hgv can do just as others have said, and drive over them to manouver into a not so blind position, don’t quote me though if you end up in court
MADBAZ:
The reason they’re painted and not anti-hgv kerbs is so a hgv can do just as others have said, and drive over them to manouver into a not so blind position, don’t quote me though if you end up in court
That’s an interesting thought there MadBaz, and may well be the answer.
I go over the ‘hatched’ markings in the car on a regular basis. Some expert pal of mine was chuntering on about solid lines saying that car drives can go over/into the area surrounded by solid white lines, depending on their thickness.
