Muckaway:
I do quite a bit of city centre driving (Oxford) and my truck has no “cycle friendly” gear attached to it and nor have I done a cyclist awareness type course. I have had no problems with cyclists, if they do pass on the nearside at a set of traffic lights I let them get on with it. I’ve had several gestures of thanks for staying behind them or passing them with a wide berth. There are those who jump red lights but I expect them too so I tend to be prepared for one.
The country needs more drivers with your attitude.
Blind spots are not a problem to an alert driver.
Far too many use the word blind spot to cover up their poor driving.
If you drive a lorry which has a blind spot it is your responsibility to make sure there is nothing in it.
I said similar on the Facebook post and the amount of grief I was subjected to was interesting. The whole blind spot issue is overblown and they’re almost non existent these days
One thing that would help the issue is if drivers start adjusting their mirrors properly. The amount of lorries I get into that have been driven by drivers who think mirrors are for looking at he side of their own lorry is shocking. Adjust them properly, I.e showing a very thin sliver of your own vehicle, and it’s amazing how much more can be seen
kr79:
I’ve been on a number of fors courses and 90% of the drivers are anti bike.
I hear cb talk quite regularly where drivers from a certain well known tipper firm often broadcast their hatred of cyclists. Firm is FORS registered too which makes a joke of the scheme.
My Dad did a cyclist awareness course shortly before he retired. The guy doing the course sounded like our road user friend on here, he just wouldn’t take any criticism of cyclists, the blame was on anyone bar people on two wheels. His attitude must’ve lost more respect for cyclists than it gained.
Immigrant:
fine every Cyclist who does not use a Cycle Way
That’s the trouble, if people cycle in those stupid cycle lanes they get blamed for “under-taking”, but you want to fine people who ignore that useless piece of garbage. Can’t win.
So stop and wait behind the truck until it’s cleared the junction etc regardless just as I would in the case of the car let alone bicycle if it’s two lanes.What’s the problem.IE cycle lanes aren’t there to facilitate dangerous undertaking manouvres.
Why would the cyclist have to wait at that junction behind the lorry? Proceed up the lane and get in front of the traffic, and wait in the ASL at the lights. There is enough room. I wouldn’t cycle up it if traffic was moving, but stationary like that? Crack on Cycle Jockey…
roaduser66:
That’s the trouble, if people cycle in those stupid cycle lanes they get blamed for “under-taking”, but you want to fine people who ignore that useless piece of garbage. Can’t win.
So stop and wait behind the truck until it’s cleared the junction etc regardless just as I would in the case of the car let alone bicycle if it’s two lanes.What’s the problem.IE cycle lanes aren’t there to facilitate dangerous undertaking manouvres.
Why would the cyclist have to wait at that junction behind the lorry? Proceed up the lane and get in front of the traffic, and wait in the ASL at the lights. There is enough room. I wouldn’t cycle up it if traffic was moving, but stationary like that? Crack on Cycle Jockey…
P.S no one is turning left at those lights
I think roaduser was making a general observation not that specific example answered with an obviously generalised reply.Having said that your idea could still create a similar situation of a cyclist on the nearside getting into conflict with the truck in the case of both trying to occupy the same piece of roadspace through the junction and the cyclist being missed in the mirrors.
Muckaway:
I do quite a bit of city centre driving (Oxford) and my truck has no “cycle friendly” gear attached to it and nor have I done a cyclist awareness type course. I have had no problems with cyclists, if they do pass on the nearside at a set of traffic lights I let them get on with it. I’ve had several gestures of thanks for staying behind them or passing them with a wide berth. There are those who jump red lights but I expect them too so I tend to be prepared for one.
The country needs more drivers with your attitude.
Blind spots are not a problem to an alert driver.
Far too many use the word blind spot to cover up their poor driving.
If you drive a lorry which has a blind spot it is your responsibility to make sure there is nothing in it.
I said similar on the Facebook post and the amount of grief I was subjected to was interesting. The whole blind spot issue is overblown and they’re almost non existent these days
Quite agree. It is used as an excuse for not paying attention. Also you mention the fact drivers do not adjust their mirrors correctly. How very true. When I was involved in training it amazed me how many experienced drivers did not have a clue how to set their mirrors. Then you get the lazy ones that cannot be bothered.
Immigrant:
fine every Cyclist who does not use a Cycle Way
That’s the trouble, if people cycle in those stupid cycle lanes they get blamed for “under-taking”, but you want to fine people who ignore that useless piece of garbage. Can’t win.
So stop and wait behind the truck until it’s cleared the junction etc regardless just as I would in the case of the car let alone bicycle if it’s two lanes.What’s the problem.IE cycle lanes aren’t there to facilitate dangerous undertaking manouvres.
Why would the cyclist have to wait at that junction behind the lorry? Proceed up the lane and get in front of the traffic, and wait in the ASL at the lights. There is enough room. I wouldn’t cycle up it if traffic was moving, but stationary like that? Crack on Cycle Jockey…
P.S no one is turning left at those lights
i would guess R66’s gripe with that image is the crap infrastructure for cyclists, there are two vehicles parked in the cycle lane, and that orange van is a significant danger if he opened the door as you passed, you could end up under the wheels of something. There is no-way I would ever cycle in a city.
kr79:
I’ve been on a number of fors courses and 90% of the drivers are anti bike.
I hear cb talk quite regularly where drivers from a certain well known tipper firm often broadcast their hatred of cyclists. Firm is FORS registered too which makes a joke of the scheme.
My Dad did a cyclist awareness course shortly before he retired. The guy doing the course sounded like our road user friend on here, he just wouldn’t take any criticism of cyclists, the blame was on anyone bar people on two wheels. His attitude must’ve lost more respect for cyclists than it gained.
A couple I have been on have had them types and it leads to no one learning anything another couple the cyclist guys have been much more in the real world and you actually learned a bit.
I think cameras are a waste of money ( REVERSE CAMERA ok. )I liked the old mirrors best what one could see was what you got ie distance and position.Frensell dont make me laugh you could lose a cyclist in the edges.Mirror position again older better AEC ,FODEN had n/s mirrors where forward so viewing through windscreen this left a good view from n/s door window (bit like coach ).the mirrors need to be lifted in the case of volvo small one on top …I suppose when they design them they look smart and fit in with the lines of a new cab,of course all these aids are no good if not used . I could believe the stats for cycle deaths how come these drivers were not taken off the road ■■?
Spot on there Fuse, the Foden S80 and my Sed Ak 400 had the nearside mirror mounted well forward of the cab and besides giving a clear view along virtually the whole length of the truck it also kept clean due to the airflow across the cab front. I still had to look in them though but can’t ever remember having an issue with any cyclists even in places like Brum and Manchester during peak times.
I had a great experience the other day. Driving across the M62 I pulled into lane 2 to let a car join the motorway (obviously I checked to make sure it was clear). I waited for them to accelerate past me so I could pull back into lane 1. After a few seconds they hadn’t passed, so I rechecked my mirrors, but couldn’t see them. Being unsure of where they were I wasn’t going to pull back into lane 1. I ended up dropping the cc down a couple of clicks, at which point they appeared just in front of my lorry. They’d sat under my passenger side mirrors, perfectly placed to be out of view of my mirrors and fresnel lens.
All this talk of extra training for LGV drivers is fine, hell, I’ll sign up for a few myself, but other road users need to be aware of the limitations of large vehicles. Perhaps a return to the old government information films/adverts.
CC, its for exactly that scenario i have the mirrors set as i described earlier in the thread, it should be absolutely impossible for any car (or person or bike or animal) to be beside the vehicle at any point and not be visible in one (and partly or fully another one also) N/S or either of the two down mirrors.
Those idiots are our responsibility, no it shouldn’t be like that but it always has been and i suspect until everything goes fully auto generations after we’re all dead, it always will be.
Juddian:
CC, its for exactly that scenario i have the mirrors set as i described earlier in the thread, it should be absolutely impossible for any car (or person or bike or animal) to be beside the vehicle at any point and not be visible in one (and partly or fully another one also) N/S or either of the two down mirrors.
Those idiots are our responsibility, no it shouldn’t be like that but it always has been and i suspect until everything goes fully auto generations after we’re all dead, it always will be.
I’m a stickler for mirrors and always move them pretty much as you said (as a cab hopper this does tend to upset others, never mind ). I always believed I had everything covered, but this instance showed me I can’t cover everything.
Juddian:
CC, its for exactly that scenario i have the mirrors set as i described earlier in the thread, it should be absolutely impossible for any car (or person or bike or animal) to be beside the vehicle at any point and not be visible in one (and partly or fully another one also) N/S or either of the two down mirrors.
Those idiots are our responsibility, no it shouldn’t be like that but it always has been and i suspect until everything goes fully auto generations after we’re all dead, it always will be.
I’m a stickler for mirrors and always move them pretty much as you said (as a cab hopper this does tend to upset others, never mind ). I always believed I had everything covered, but this instance showed me I can’t cover everything.
I wonder if the twit wandered onto the hard shoulder hence why they went missing?
Juddian:
CC, its for exactly that scenario i have the mirrors set as i described earlier in the thread, it should be absolutely impossible for any car (or person or bike or animal) to be beside the vehicle at any point and not be visible in one (and partly or fully another one also) N/S or either of the two down mirrors.
Those idiots are our responsibility, no it shouldn’t be like that but it always has been and i suspect until everything goes fully auto generations after we’re all dead, it always will be.
I’m a stickler for mirrors and always move them pretty much as you said (as a cab hopper this does tend to upset others, never mind ). I always believed I had everything covered, but this instance showed me I can’t cover everything.
I wonder if the twit wandered onto the hard shoulder hence why they went missing?
Possibly, but I didn’t see the roof of the car through the window either. Unfortunately it was daylight too, so no telltale headlights either.
I thought it was just a fluke, far enough forward to not be in my mirrors but not too far forward to be in my windscreen. Far enough over to not be visible in the kerb or windscreen mirrors but not far enough over to be in the side window. If I get chance later I might try and duplicate it in our yard. Will post pictures if I can.
just to echo the thrust of most comments, there are a number of ways we can reduce the risk of cyclist fatalities - and not just relying on a HGV fix.
Cyclists need to improve their understanding of ‘cooperative use of the road’; Drivers need to be better aware of the vulnerabilities of cyclists; and manufacturers need to produce better designed mirrors etc to reduce blind spots.
Juddian:
CC, its for exactly that scenario i have the mirrors set as i described earlier in the thread, it should be absolutely impossible for any car (or person or bike or animal) to be beside the vehicle at any point and not be visible in one (and partly or fully another one also) N/S or either of the two down mirrors.
Those idiots are our responsibility, no it shouldn’t be like that but it always has been and i suspect until everything goes fully auto generations after we’re all dead, it always will be.
Ironically it’s the combination,of the naive erroneous idea of fail safe mirror vision,together with the idea among other road users,that it’s the truck driver’s responsibility to see them and give way,if not crash for cash,which contain all the ingredients of a collision waiting to happen.
On that note the idea of regularly making lane changes or turns on the basis that what you see in the mirrors is a fool proof account of what’s there then you’re arguably relying more on luck than judgement.
el_presidente:
just to echo the thrust of most comments, there are a number of ways we can reduce the risk of cyclist fatalities - and not just relying on a HGV fix.
Cyclists need to improve their understanding of ‘cooperative use of the road’; Drivers need to be better aware of the vulnerabilities of cyclists; and manufacturers need to produce better designed mirrors etc to reduce blind spots.
It’s bleedin obvious that a cyclist v truck incident isn’t going to end well.
As for 'cooperation when judges are interpreting rule 221 of the highway code as moving right to turn left gives cyclists a justifiable ‘sense of security’ to undertake who needs ‘cooperation’ from cyclists.
