We're at fault on the roads, over deaths involving HGV's

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
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Posting as a cyclist.

Question:

Which of the following methods should be used to reduce risks for cyclists on the roads?

Proper enforcement (Including fines) of cyclists ignoring the rules of the road. 87% (97%)*

More training for cyclists on large vehicle blind spots. 85% (94%)*

Physical segregation of cyclists from other road users. 60% (77%)*

Lift bans to allow trucks to deliver before and after rush-hour period. 51%

More training for drivers. 48%

Redesign junctions to be safer. 48%

Voluntary fitment of safety equipment to vehicles. 26%

Mandatory fitment of safety equipment to vehicles. 23%

Other(Not Specified, my words). 14%

Ban cyclists from the rush-hour period. 11%

Ban trucks from the rush-hour period. 7%

No methods required to reduce risks for cyclists on roads. 1%

Majority of respondents (82%) feel that the national & local media are biased against trucks when reporting incidents involving trucks & cyclists.

More than two thirds (68%) felt that the government is not right to promote cycling without appropriate safeguards in place.

One respondent said "There needs to be less emotion and more hard facts & analysis.

Cycling, especially in London, with the advent Boris bikes, has increased rapidly. With many of the new cyclists having no training or experience of riding in a busy city. This has led to a number of fatal incidents which although they have also involved cars, buses & a coach or two, have concentrated on trucks because they are always seen as dirty, smelly, noisy & dangerous."

One driver said " The government & media should wake up to the reality that we all need to promote mutual respect for all road users. …

…Until people wake up to respecting each other’s right to use the roads & start to respect other road users, there will always be stupid mistakes that costs lives. Cyclists: look out for vehicles & respect their size. Large vehicle drivers: respect the vunerability of cyclists"

Another driver said “I sometimes cycle; you don’t realise how some vehicles get to you when passing until you have been on a bike yourself. Since I started cycling, I now give cyclists much more room when travelling behind them or overtaking. Until you cycle, you won’t know how many people do not give way for bikes”

While many respondents were keen to point the finger of blame at cyclists, for the sake of balance only 35% of respodents said they had sent their drivers on on vunerable road user awareness training. Which type of haulier has embraced this the most: thats right, construction hauliers - nearly half (48%) use such traing

*Figures in brackets represent Construction Hauliers response, compared to survey average.

Nearly 200 respondents, which will have included haulage companies as well as drivers, took part in the survey.

So where do we go from here.

We can sit on the fence looking at our side of the problem, whilst everyone one else does the same. Somewhere on that fence, lies the solution.

Also posted in the OWNER AND FLEET OPERATORS FORUM & at cyclechat.net/threads/were-a … vs.147255/

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classic33:
One driver said " The government & media should wake up to the reality that we all need to promote mutual respect for all road users. …

…Until people wake up to respecting each other’s right to use the roads & start to respect other road users, there will always be stupid mistakes that costs lives. Cyclists: look out for vehicles & respect their size. Large vehicle drivers: respect the vunerability of cyclists"

That was ME - if you check posts in here about similar, you’ll see my same comment :grimacing:

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waynedl:

classic33:
One driver said " The government & media should wake up to the reality that we all need to promote mutual respect for all road users. …

…Until people wake up to respecting each other’s right to use the roads & start to respect other road users, there will always be stupid mistakes that costs lives. Cyclists: look out for vehicles & respect their size. Large vehicle drivers: respect the vunerability of cyclists"

That was ME - if you check posts in here about similar, you’ll see my same comment :grimacing:

First post on here and I get pulled up by the person I’d quoted. Sorry for leaving part of it out from the article.
Seriously, we have to look at how this problem and others like it can be addressed. Knee jerk reactions & their aftermath results may only make any bad situation worse. Enough outcrying & something will be done, with possibly no-one liking it.

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We need more space. Too many people on this small island. Vote UKIP. :wink:

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+1

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Wayne’s attitude is the one to take ‘Respect for each other’

But it will never happen 90% of road users seem to have some Respect, but its the other 10% that think they own the road, that’s 10% from all groups- Cyclists, Bikers, Normal Car Drivers, (most AUDI & all German Car driving ‘Reps’ :imp:) HGV Drivers, Coach & Bus Drivers, etc.

As soon as you get a couple of these people in the same Space as each other, problems can start to unfold & the trouble is- Its always the Vulnerable Cyclist that ‘Gets It’.

Being a Cyclist, Biker, Car & Lorry Driver, I tend to give other people room, especially Cyclists. I will sit behind a slow pushbike in my wagon for as long as it takes, even if its holding traffic up behind, but the cyclist could help to play the game a bit by pulling out of the way occasionally (same as I do when I’m on a 40 mph single carriageway & there’s a Big build up of traffic behind me)

When I’m sat at the lights, waiting to turn left with my signals on, I’m not a psychic, if a bicycle Sneaks up the inside & I don’t notice it, what chance has he/she got when I pull away, taking a wide swing with the trailer cutting across the cyclist’s path.

A lot of people take the ■■■■ out of the Cycling Proficiency Training, I reckon it should be Compulsory in schools & all Bike shops should have to offer a CBT Day (like the motorbike one)to anyone who hasn’t got the Proficiency Certificate. Maybe it could be added to the cost of the bike.
When I met Lady ‘V’, 15 years ago, I was horrified at the lack of Road Sense her Son had, we went out on the push bikes & he just rode around roundabouts the wrong way, hadn’t got a clue what was behind him & just thought that the whole thing was a game, he’d never had any training whatsoever, I soon put him right & he’s still with us today, but how many get out on the road for the first time-without a clue ?

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Attitude and respect, is the easiest, cheapest and can be implemented by all of us that want to do something about this. But it’s also the hardest one to implement across the board, because of the ■■■■■■■■ of arrogant people who think its thier god given right to have thier road space unhindered, and like Martinviking says, that goes across all types of transport users.

We always hear a lot about cyclist jumping red lights and cycling through traffic, but as truck drivers in large cities, our main problem I would think are the law abiding, but less aware cyclist. They stay on the painted cycle lane which takes them down the left hand side of an HGV and maybe not really thinking about what is ahead of them.

The haulage industry is feeling a bit under siege over this at the moment, and their are loads of people telling us what we must do, normally these people have no transport experience and are posturing for thier own agenda.

But the haulage industry must look at its self, and see what can be done, if that means extra bits or driver training then that’s what we must do. But the situation can’t be solved by changes on one side unless they are removed completely and that isn’t practical.

More segregation might be helpful, some cyclists say they don’t like dedicated cycle lanes, as they get debry strewn on them and they have to stop at junctions and drivers turning don’t see them. But it does work in other parts of Europe, so lets solve the problems, because I think the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.

Most of us hate the extra traffic the school run causes, but most wouldn’t let thier children cycle to school, but if we had a good safe system of cycle lanes, might this change?

And for us who have to deliver goods in towns and cities wouldn’t the reduction in traffic be a bonus?

I had to go to Germany this week, went further off the autobahns than I normally go, the thing that I noticed was segregated cycle lanes going between towns and villages, and how well used they were, and not by a load of Lycra clad Tour de France refugees, but by the young, elderly, and generally by people who looked like the were nipping down to the shops or popping round friends or coming or going to work or school. All activities that many of us now jump into a car to do.

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Anyone able to say why two professional bodies, the RHA & FTA don’t want to become involved in this matter.
I look at the last post & I can answer in much the same way about the road layouts/markings from the cyclists point of view, reaching much the same conclusion. Not a lot of thought or effort being put into it by people who may never leave their offices. So that they may enjoy the fruits of their labour.
Following changes made to roads near me, I put forward the propsal to the local council, that all councillours & those who had made the changes come out & try riding through the town centre, from outside on one side to a similar distance on the far side. That was five years ago, to date not one has taken up the offer.
The time taken on drawing up these plans & the money wasted on the improvements can be better spent on the roads themselves for all that use them. Not one group of users.