Mercedes-Benz Trucks and Transport for London have pooled their resources to provide the Metropolitan Police Service with a brand new Actros. The 2545 BigSpace six legger is for use by the force’s ‘Exchanging Places’ scheme which is designed to reduce collisions and incidents between drivers of HGVs and cyclists in the capitol.
The programme, which has been running since 2007, has trained 15000 cyclists about the dangers of lorries on London’s roads. Experienced police traffic officers show cyclists round a truck and explain, with the learner in the drivers seat, just why it is hard for a truck driver to spot bikes riding close the vehicle. The success of the programme has led the Met to look for a dedicated vehicle to support the courses. Until now the scheme has been dependent on the loan of a unit by a haulier sponsoring the training.
Mercedes Trucks won the tender to supply the vehicle, via Kent dealer Sparshaltts. Including funding inputted by TfL, the vehicle will only cost the Met the fuel required to run it for the one year fixed term lease.
Police Sergeant Simon Castle - Roads and Transport Policing Command:
"We are grateful to Mercedes-Benz and Sparshatts of Kent for supplying us with this vehicle, which is perfect for our Exchanging Places programme. The feedback from these events is overwhelmingly positive with 97 per cent of cyclists saying they would change their riding as a result of sitting in the driver’s seat, and 99 per cent would recommend it to a friend.
“I urge cyclists to watch the Exchanging Places film on the MPS Youtube website and also arrange to attend an Exchanging Places event. It is invaluable and a potential life saver.”
The Actros was spotted on the roads this morning leaving the capitol on the M1. The truck has been fitted with the usual battenberg markings and a complete set of blue flashing lights but these are only for promotional uses. Only trained police officers will be able to actually drive the truck and it is not for use in enforcement of traffic law.
Well no matter what your views are on the old bill tooling around in a tractor unit you can’t deny that it makes a refreshing change to put the onus on cyclists to appreciate our perspective for once instead of the usual punitive legislation aimed at motorists.
If it gets even one cyclist to reconsider sneaking up the inside of a left turning artic then it has to be a good thing.
the maoster:
Well no matter what your views are on the old bill tooling around in a tractor unit you can’t deny that it makes a refreshing change to put the onus on cyclists to appreciate our perspective for once instead of the usual punitive legislation aimed at motorists.
If it gets even one cyclist to reconsider sneaking up the inside of a left turning artic then it has to be a good thing.
The Exchanging Places scheme is a good idea, but why not just demonstrate the blindspot issues in old fashioned public information broadcasts on the TV? A 60 second advert in the middle of Coronation Street would get the message across to thousands more people than this scheme ever will . Same method for getting information out about good motorway driving practises would be good too.
Twoninety88:
Instead of a tractor unit wouldn’t an eight legger been more relevant considering the amount of cyclists who have been killed by the type in London?
Thats a fair point but then you open a can of worms. What do you put on the back of it? Do you go for a flatbed? Or perhaps a cement rig or even a curtain sider? Sparshaltts have to sell the vehicle on in a years time so putting a body on it would just reduce the potential list of buyers. Going for a unit rather than a rigid means they can just whip of the vynals and change the leds in the lights to orange.
I like the pretty lights … and agree that a decent advert would work as well or maybe even better as for this full need to actually turn up. Needs a trailer or they can’t really appreciate lack of view to rear is my view.
rob22888:
The Exchanging Places scheme is a good idea, but why not just demonstrate the blindspot issues in old fashioned public information broadcasts on the TV? A 60 second advert in the middle of Coronation Street would get the message across to thousands more people than this scheme ever will . Same method for getting information out about good motorway driving practises would be good too.
A single 60 second ad in the middle of Coronation Street would cost an awful lot more than a year’s loan (including fuel costs) of a shiny Merc tractor unit.
surely for added realism they could show the cyclists the driver simoultaniously arguing with the mealymouthed condescending voiced ■■■■■ on his satnav,fatty feltz or steve wright for his banal chatter over every song,microwaving his tea,watching the dial a chug phone lady on channell 99 ,peeing into a wellyboot,buttering a cpl of sarnies,whilst talking on the handsfree to the traffic office explaining why hes late and spontaniously lying about where he is and eta.plus obviously the best way to dispose of the bodies after a quiet night in the cab and being strangled with the airline duster.giving them a cloth diped in chloroform with some ketamine would give them the all round in cab truckie experience assuming they stood on the step and looked in past the peekaboo curtains?..I wonder if the poisoned dwarf angus will get the limiter removed so he can have a peek into your cab??
Twoninety88:
Instead of a tractor unit wouldn’t an eight legger been more relevant considering the amount of cyclists who have been killed by the type in London?
Thats a fair point but then you open a can of worms. What do you put on the back of it? Do you go for a flatbed? Or perhaps a cement rig or even a curtain sider? Sparshaltts have to sell the vehicle on in a years time so putting a body on it would just reduce the potential list of buyers. Going for a unit rather than a rigid means they can just whip of the vynals and change the leds in the lights to orange.
They already have rigids in the form of horse boxes and specialist search units. These aren’t used all the time so I dont see why they can’t coordinate the use and share them.
… and agree that a decent advert would work as well or maybe even better as for this full need to actually turn up. Needs a trailer or they can’t really appreciate lack of view to rear is my view.