There for the grace of God go I.
I’ve lost count the number of times I’ve been in the position, and not long after passing my HGV Class 1, backed into a car through lack of experience, and a lapse in concentration.
Sympathies to the family, and I hope the Driver gets through this.
I was reversing a tri axle trailer very slowly up the side of a shopping complex. All was clear, I had hazards, reversing bleeper & a monster reversing light on. An impatient ■■■■■■■■■ pensioner dived around the back of me, I saw him & hit the brakes, just missing him.
He wasnt even in a rush as he parked & sat in his car for 10 mins. So I decided to go over “educate” him, telling him I only just stopped. He told me it was my fault for not having someone guiding me. I finished the conversation by telling him next time I’d not hesitate in hitting him .
Tough for all involved but the right decision made. Including the decision to fit camera’s. If it saves one more death it’s worth it.
Thoughts with the family and the driver.
Working in London all day it is a constant problem we have cameras reverse alarms left turn sensors with a spoken warning and people still five in round you at the most awkward moments.
Always cracks me up when you say to people, “I could of hit you, why be so stupid?” then they say “It would be your fault if you hit me” then you say, “What good is that argument going to do you if you’re dead?” 
Not that this applies to the newspaper article.
Tragic accident.
Commiserations for her family and I hope you get over it and don’t blame yourself too harshly.
Simple reversing sensors would have prevented this.
Harry Monk:
Simple reversing sensors would have prevented this.
I’ve got a radar type system that once I reverse upto an object, or something moves near it, a series of bleeps sound in the cab (faster means closer) and some red lights flash (again, more means closer). Was annoying at first but I’m used to it now, but I doubt this particular system would work in a lorry-would you want “beep beep beep” whilst crawling in traffic?
Having said that, there are still retarded labourers/builders who walk behind me when I’m reversing away from a lorry I’m loading…
Muckaway:
Was annoying at first but I’m used to it now, but I doubt this particular system would work in a lorry-would you want “beep beep beep” whilst crawling in traffic?
Unless we’re talking at cross-purposes, they are inoperative when you are travelling forward, they are wired into the reversing light circuit and only turn on when you engage reverse gear.
Harry Monk:
Muckaway:
Was annoying at first but I’m used to it now, but I doubt this particular system would work in a lorry-would you want “beep beep beep” whilst crawling in traffic?Unless we’re talking at cross-purposes, they are inoperative when you are travelling forward, they are wired into the reversing light circuit and only turn on when you engage reverse gear.
Had 'em on some of the skellies - they apply the trailer brakes for you…PITA when in an RDC but a good thing generally. 
feel sorry for all those involved, but why does the title say truck when its a van they are talking about?a similar accident happened in Dundee recently, where an elderly man died after being pinned against a wall by a lorry delivering to a butchers.
Harry Monk:
Muckaway:
Was annoying at first but I’m used to it now, but I doubt this particular system would work in a lorry-would you want “beep beep beep” whilst crawling in traffic?Unless we’re talking at cross-purposes, they are inoperative when you are travelling forward, they are wired into the reversing light circuit and only turn on when you engage reverse gear.
On quarry plant, they’re on all the time-probably the same system, just setup differently I guess. Our lorries, you can select to have the reversing camera on all the time or just on in reverse gear.
When I was on tippers it was a requirement by the quarries to have rearview camera’s fitted, if the camera didn’t work (and they checked them) then they wouldn’t load you pure and simple! Fitting them to vans that also have bad blind spots makes good sense as the cost is very small, anything that assists a driver has to be good. Funnily enough I have just fitted two cameras to my LDV van, I have one pointing down onto the towbar as well to assist lining up my caravan hitch. Very handy to have plus it has doubled the vehicles value!!! 
Pete.
I feel bad for all concerned, but I think its awful how many people will just stand behind you when you are reversing a lorry. Someone once reported me for “reversing at them” (a pedestrian) but it was thrown out at work, as my boss said “who the hell just stands there behind a lorry with hazards on and beepers going?” but people do…
Very similar accident happened last week in Dundee.
Muckaway:
Harry Monk:
Muckaway:
Was annoying at first but I’m used to it now, but I doubt this particular system would work in a lorry-would you want “beep beep beep” whilst crawling in traffic?Unless we’re talking at cross-purposes, they are inoperative when you are travelling forward, they are wired into the reversing light circuit and only turn on when you engage reverse gear.
On quarry plant, they’re on all the time-probably the same system, just setup differently I guess. Our lorries, you can select to have the reversing camera on all the time or just on in reverse gear.
I occasionally drive (and less often now) a Rolls Royce Silver Seraph that’s fitted with distance sensors in the front and rear bumpers. Its damned annoying to drive in town centres: someone walks accross the road directly infront of the car whilst stationary in traffic or at a junction, the front sensors set off the bleeper. Someone walks immediately behind the car, or another car pulls up tight behind, the rear sensors set the bleeper off. 
Sympathies to the family for that one, it’s a tragic circumstance that is avoidable and not through technology. People are losing the ability to think and relying on technology to keep themselves and others safe these days. I had a orang one day with no injuries as a consequence thankfully. Friday afternoon in a previous job, got my load on for Monday morning. I passed one of our motors heading into reload where I had just done so. I swung into a layby to wait for him and finish our weeks work heading back to the yard. While sat there I thought I’d back up a bit for a longer run out of the layby. As I stopped and pulled on the parking brake I saw a chal in a suit stood in my mirrors view so I opened the door and called back to see if he was ok. “No” he said, “You’ve smashed my car up”.
He had come in behind me before I had reversed and parked right up behind my trailer… Now his car was under the undamaged steel box rear bumper!
I once had one pull in a layby and park right behind me whilst I was reversing 
Luckily I saw him come in & disappear, so I stopped. Words were exchanged at the butty van.
Not quite sure why you would need to waste your own & your companies time waiting for the 2nd driver to get loaded.
Driveroneuk:
I once had one pull in a layby and park right behind me whilst I was reversingNot quite sure why you would need to waste your own & your companies time waiting for the 2nd driver to get loaded.
That last sentance makes you sound like a right “company man.” Anyway, it’s quite common for us to run in pairs where you need to be escorted like at Raf Brize Norton or on a lime job where you may be told to shut each farm gate behind you. Much quicker if you open and another closes.
when i used to drinks deliveries you had to reverse up many an alley in city centre, we had reverse bleepers and a drivers mate who would act as banksman but still lost count of the amount of times folk would still walk out behind truck…