ok i am all for cycling and reducing congestion and pollution etc… but i think it is about time that cyclists in london are educated on the dangers of HGVs in the city. It seems sometimes that i appear to be invisible to the average joe cyclist in the capital as they weave in & out of staionary or slow moving traffic jumping around in my mirrors as i try to watch what they are doing & where they may be going,the trouble is it is not just one cyclist im trying to keep my eye on its several, all this whilst trying to manouvere my truck watch for pedestrians and other road users. there is alot of emphasis on truckers to be aware of cyclist & cycling organisations say that we are a danger to them on the road,they have campaigned & won a fight to add extra mirrors to lorries but no amount of mirrors,cameras or blindspot detectors can account for the stupidity of some cyclists trying to squeeze through a gap of less than a metre as i begin to make a turn,the sad thing is that if i were to end up with one under my wheels (its only a matter of time) then its me in court facing a possible driving with undue care and attention charge or worse death by undue care and atttention, i will then be refered to as a proffessional driver & possibly lose my licence and livelihood! my point to all this is that i am far more visible to a cyclist than a cyclist is to me so surely the emphasis should be on the cyclist to watch out for me and approach me with caution,this is where they should be educated on the dangers, new mayor boris johnson has proposed to spend £55m on improving cycling in the capital, i think some of that money should be spent on educating them and seeing it from our perspective, I am going to write a letter to mr boris johnson with my concerns and invite him to see the road from the truckers point of view, I would also like to see some of that money fund a sticker that can be issued to hauliers and drivers for free that can be stuck on the back of the truck that would read:
CYCLISTS BEWARE
YOU CAN SEE ME
BUT I MAY NOT BE
ABLE TO SEE YOU
KEEP BACK
sorry that this post is so long but i think it needs urgently addressing as the number of cyclists is increasing and trucks will always have to drive in london.
it aint about “cyclists” “truckers” “car driver” or "bikers, the problems simple and across the board, it’s just ■■■■-brains without a lick of common. what the answer is i dont know, maybe loads of tv campaigns in as simple as way as possible to try and get through their thick skulls? I wouldnt hold me breath though, a ■■■ is a ■■■ whatever theyre in or on!
It seems that because they are popular with the government for the green issues they can break any traffic law. Probably enhanced by David Cameron getting pap’d every week running red lights (if ever there was someone who deserved to have his bike nicked )
I drive an old Routemaster part time for a company doing weddings and corporate events all over London and the two biggest threats are pedestrians jumping out to get a head on photo of the bus (muppets) and cyclists weaving in, out and bouncing off the sides.
it’s not just cyclists either, motorcyclists are as bad if not worse - especially couriers, you’d swear they had a death wish!
I spent monday in london in a 7.5tonner with steelwork sticking out the sides totaling 3metres and no blind spot mirror (s), a little un-nerving to say the least.
I think it should be made an offence for them to weave through traffic like they do, especially over taking on the wrong side - everyone else has to wait so why shouldn’t they, they’re only another road-user after all.
I agree there should be more education about the dangers but there is an old saying “you can’t educate pork”.
Thank goodness for the front view mirror, I have even known cyclists to rest against the front of the motor when in stopped traffic.
I also think it comes down to common sense and them realising what danger they are putting themselves in, but in some cases not even just themselves.
Went up to Andover the other day and there was a bit of a hold up on a narrow part of the A36, when I got up to the “hold up”, there was Mr & Mrs Green, each on a bike + a small plastic covered trailer containing a small child, I think they were even riding abreast to start with, the little trailers were lower than the lorry wheels, plain crazy in my opinion.
Maybe the UK needs a Highway Law to replace the daft notion of the Highway Code to pep up such a cause. Until then, both local and national government will continue to respond to ‘statistics’ - suggesting that full morgues might prompt our elected leaders into action.
Or, maybe we should be more accountable by chest poking those same politicos with whom we have contact - like when they canvas our votes …though UK voting & lobbying history indicates that we’re too ambivalent as a nation as our ‘rich-diversity’ presents other equally worthy(?) causes to chase.
Besides all that, many middle-England, Daily Mail-folk seemingly hate most road-code enforcement as a majority appear to enjoy the fruits of (equally recklessly) looning around. (As evidenced by the percentage of them on ‘points’ & endless dinner-party moaning about enforcement cameras being
Police ‘money machines’, etc. How boring does that get?)
The future surely - but stressfully demands our full & 100% awareness…
(C+E, IAM, lapsed motorcyclist, cyclist & a local cycle campaign group member too)
PS. Incidentally, I understand that whilst drivers are priviledged to drive on the roads through being licenced, cyclists & horse riders apparently have a right to be there by virtue of having either a bike or a horse: Crazy?
the award for most stupid cyclist goes to the guy holding the the steel gurder overhang on my truck as i pull him up and over blackheath, i was unaware that he was there as he was not in my mirrors,but thanks to the fellow truck driver that alerted me at the lights, i stopped the truck and confronted the guy to have a load of abuse and a finger hurled at me as he cycled off.
As a cyclist and a driver of 7.5 tonne lorries I would say that my road craft skills are better than the average cyclist or car driver. I am not saying I am the best driver out there but by no means am I the worst.
I agree that it is all down to education and learning to read the road ahead. When I am out on my bike in town I look ahead for all vehicles and what possible change of direction they may take. By this I am looking out mainly for road junctions. If there is an LGV in the distance and a junction on his left hand side, I do hold back knowing that if he decides to turn left I will disappear from sight as he makes his swing.
I know it would cost but I think a compulsory cycling proficiency test and included in the car and motor cycling test an LGV simulation so that they have some idea of what restricted view us LGV drivers have of the road behind us.
Bottom line is education and improving everyone’s road craft no matter what type of transport they are using. Only by doing this can we reduce the number of accidents and fatalities we have on our roads in this country.
Borderer:
it aint about “cyclists” “truckers” “car driver” or "bikers, the problems simple and across the board, it’s just ■■■■-brains without a lick of common. what the answer is i dont know, maybe loads of tv campaigns in as simple as way as possible to try and get through their thick skulls? I wouldnt hold me breath though, a ■■■ is a ■■■ whatever theyre in or on!
spot on.
re the courier motorbikes in london, and big cities, it does seem that quite a large proportion have a bit of a charles bronson. i know they are ducking and diving too get the job done, but can’t see that risking your life for it, is worth it.
on the whole, i have alot of respect for bikers on the open road, most seem too appreciate the size of what we are driving, and give us the respect we are due. i always keep an eye out for them, when stuck in traffic, and if i can pull over abit, too let them through, too get on their way, i do.
as a motorcyclist and an hgv driver , ive found most bikers do have common sense.most.
unfortunately , driving around nottingham all day, ive found cyclists often dont.
ive come close to spreading one all down the rear of my wagon on more than one occasion.
at a junction indicating left.
begining to turn and glancing at the wide angle. yup. bloomin cyclist trying to get up the inside. eeek.
had to stop regularly to avoid splatting em.
if passing one and aproaching a straight on red light, i have a habit of hugging the kerb to stop the silly sods squeezing up the inside.particularly if there are two lanes.
i try to be couteous to ALL road users. but some realy are stupid.
chilistrucker:
re the courier motorbikes in london, and big cities, it does seem that quite a large proportion have a bit of a charles bronson.
A number do, I used to see them and occasionally seem them getting scraped off the road.
But for my 5 years ■■■■■■■■■■ time spent on the roads of London delivering on a motorcycle (circa 300 000 miles), I never, ever, broke or fractured any bones - and I was no slow-coach.
Well. I have been and joined the most hated road user group on the road today and bought a new 2 wheeler. Its a green one, in that I cant find the engine
I had to do something for my health and not worrying about hypertension and cholesterol before my next medical. I am not bothered about driving after 2014 with the new CPC.
By then I may be able to afford a new caravan as well
Borderer:
the problems simple and across the board, it’s just ■■■■-brains!
The problem also is the ■■■■-brains have kids, who also invariably grow up into ■■■■-brains in their own right, so there’s going to be ore of them as time goes by
Wheel Nut:
Well. I have been and joined the most hated road user group on the road today and bought a new 2 wheeler. Its a green one, in that I cant find the engine
So you’ve also joined the other ‘no-win’ fraternity in British society …!
Will ya ride soley on the path; soley on the road, use 'em both with consideration & a polystyrene (gay?) hat …or zig-zag like a tear-a55 wherever you want?
Old Bill hardly cares these daze but the first cheeses off the elderly/disabled/young mums with buggies, etc; The second cheeses-off most white-van thugs; The third are derided beardy liberal lefties but generally mean well and the fourth are in the majority.
Have you accessorised? I understand that mudguards aren’t an option anymore - unless a wet-■■■■ dunks your biscuits whereupon they are Taiwanese bits of stealable plastic stuck-on at daft angles …though lights are an option seemingly only taken up by beardy lefties. Other options include an MP3 so that the traffic is not a distraction and a squeaking ginger chain to warn small dogs of your approach.
I’ve done alot of cycling, about 5300miles this year. Seen alot of dodgy undertakes on trucks. I;ve said something to them before, but all i got was, “they have always done it, f’ off, what do i know” which i find highly amusing as i storm past them laughing.
You cant teach some.
Happy Keith, you talk rubbish. My bike has mudguards, i just take them off and put them on when i want. Lights i have, but they are off, its still light, i have no need for them. MP3 i have, only goes in my left ear, surprising how you can still hear and see things with one in really, and how you brain can stop listening to music when you are concentrating. My chain is nice and silver, or slightly black. Yes, it gets cleaned alot, and oiled alot.
I also only ride on the road, cycle-paths are rubbish, no cars are in them to get the rubbish off them, and i would have to keep slowing down.
inaneredstripe, look out for me, i wear Sherwood CC club kit(says it on the kit) and ride a yellow fixed, and a white, black and silver Giant. You will probably have seen me about
I have bought a gaily coloured hat to match the bike, but if you see me wearing a hi-viz vest or lycra cycling shorts. you are quite welcome to knock me off with your nearside mirror
There is a method in my madness as the other half thinks it will do me good to cycle the mile and half to the pub instead of driving. If we get another big dog. I can take that and probably get a tow up the hills
The other reason is that I am going to a black tie dinner in October, and i havent got a black tie or a suit that meets in the middle
Borderer:
the problems simple and across the board, it’s just ■■■■-brains!
The problem also is the ■■■■-brains have kids, who also invariably grow up into ■■■■-brains in their own right, so there’s going to be ore of them as time goes by
allways has been, thats the point aint it, people talk about these things like a) theyre summat new, and b) you can actually do summat about them! you just have to steer round the ■■■■■■■ the best you can, whtever theyre in/on, and get on with it without killing some ■■■■■■!
