This is why, being on tippers, reversing cameras were made compulsory and they were blooming usefull in helping to avoid cases like this. I suppose just using mirrors anything directly behind the truck could be out of sight, I ran up the bonnet of the foreman’s van once (before we had cameras) when he parked behind me but it wasn’t visible through either mirror!
Pete.
Pete ever tried getting out and having a look before you start to reverse? Just saying. 
Winseer:
Don’t a lot of yards have signs up like "No reversing without a banksman"?…So… You turn up in the yard, have a tricky reverse to do, and guess what? - Trying to find ANY member of staff - let alone a “banksman” (Does he work for Lloyds?) is like trying to find Unicorn turds.
These problems don’t exist on nights of course - one of the main reasons I prefer it.
I’m so used to being on my own, that if someone I’ve never seen before (ie anyone at all!) approaches me without uniform, or some way I can identify them - I’m twitching my swordarm already!
There’s plenty of drivers that are at more risk from “the public” than the public are from any hasty vehicle movements on the site.
Do they really have signs saying that? Never seen one. What is going on these days. Are they saying drivers are not safe to reverse their selves? Never been a problem for most over the years.
It seems drivers are having less and less to do with automatic gearboxes, computers that tell the the oil is ok and of course speed limiters to try to control speed. Soon there will be sensors to stop them getting too close which is probably one of the best ideas.
Whatever will be next? I think we all know!
albion1971:
Are they saying drivers are not safe to reverse their selves? Never been a problem for most over the years.
I think we have always had a very small percentage of incidents, often resulting in death but modern methods of reporting and media mean we all hear about them. I don’t think it is a new problem.
I used to run a warehouse and couldn’t believe the stupid things I saw warehouse workers do around moving/reversing HGVs. We soon put a full banksman system in place - which by the way the drivers hated and tried their best to avoid using the banksmen. It wasn’t the drivers couldn’t reverse - it was the idiots who walked behind them, started opening rear doors before they had finished reversing, parked an FLT right behind a reversing truck. Drivers didn’t stand much of a chance.
You are right about automated systems and sensors etc … from November this year all new trucks over 8t GVW will have automatic emergency brakes, lane departure warning and electronic stability as standard. All life saving systems that will unfortunately down-skill some drivers as they become to reply on the electronics.
Ok shep I hear what you are saying. So is it people that have changed? I do not drive very often these days and when I did my tanker did not have back doors but I have driven many curtainsiders with doors and never really had a problem. If I did see someone going behind my truck and I can only think of a couple of occasions I stopped and waited till I was sure they were clear.
I still cannot understand how such a tragedy could happen with a small rigid. Maybe you are right though people are definitely more impatient and always a rush these days.
Do they really have signs saying that? Never seen one.
I have seen them ever since I started driving HGV’s in the '60’s, so they are nothing new. Perhaps a lot more common now.
Last place I worked it was a disciplinary for reversing into bays without guidance.
Having said that it was usually best to ignore the signals given by the banksman as they generally resembled a pelican attempting to take off.
Never seen one in forty years although I did not spend that much time on loading bays but the times I did there were rarely any people wandering about. I agree that some have no idea how to guide an LGV backwards. Observation is the key.
If you cannot see what is behind you get out and have a look.
wing-nut:
After skipping through the comments on here I thought this terrible accident had just recently happened, however just noticed it was July 14 so it’s a bit of a thread revival.Driver was last due in court on 1st July 15 but no news on the result.
getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey- … er-9019501I have to say that with this current craze of buying dashcams to keep youtube well stocked, perhaps they are being mounted at the wrong end.
I agree, but even better to have them at both end of the vehicles.
Totally agree with the comments regarding certain driving standards, or rather the people employed due to shortage of drivers. It’s those that give the rest a bad name as if there’s one bad one, the rest of us get tarnished with the same brush, sad case of stereotyping, but we see and hear it all the time. I’ve been guilty myself of thinking and saying ‘bloody … drivers’, brand of which I will refrain in case insulting someone. We hear it about motorcyclists, bus drivers, and we all know of the stigma of the white van man. The majority of all thankfully are decent safety conscious respectable drivers, but there’s always one who will bring the others down and in turn we are all thought of in that way, and it goes with whatever profession you are in. I recently had the rare opportunity of actually being a passenger and therefore able to see far more of our comrades as would normally, majority were courteous and careful, but did witness some complete idiots, sadly far more than I expected to. One was driving right up the back of a car that was doing maximum speed in an ASC area and so could not go any faster, another two from the same company (who shall remain nameless) were actually trying to race each other and looking and laughing at each other and one of these swerved out in front of another vehicle who had to try and brake and pull into the next lane narrowly missing another vehicle - that was a very close call! I counted 7 inconsiderate and downright dangerous drivers that day, and it was only a 40 minute motorway journey!, it’s a real insight but the car/van drivers far outweighed in terms of idiocy on the road and contempt for other road users.
Referring to the article above, I didn’t put up a more recent link due to it naming the family and driver so didn’t think it fair. The case is still ongoing and will be for possibly a while yet, but as per my original comment I know of the family, obviously I cannot say much, but all I will say is don’t believe all you read in the papers, even “eyewitnesses” can be discredited.