Unfortunately the clip doesnât address the real issues.Concentrating on the weight of vehicles as this clip does,is irrelevant and emotive.A 7.5 tonne truck will kill as easily as a 44 tonne vehicle.The issue here is the lack of training/knowledge of other road users with regard to vehicles that suffer from restricted vision.Every time I see one of these sad occurences reported in the media,it is exclusively reported from a cyclists/motorcyclists/pedestrians perspective.More mirrors/cameras I donât think will help as there is just so much activity on our roads today and using what we already have makes enough demands on drivers.These vehicles are here to stay,the public demands ever cheaper goods 24hrs a day and this is how the goods are brought into our towns and cities.I have every sympathy with those who have lost loved ones in this way but I feel the real need is for better education of other road users,to make them aware of the possible dangers when sharing the road with goods vehicles.
I believe the news item is very misleading to non truck drivers, but we do know that truck visibility has improved immensely over the last 10 to 15 years with wide angled mirrors, kerb view mirrors and heated elements.
Unfortunately what hasnt changed is the attitude of some drivers, and of course some cyclists that try to come up the inside while you are turning or the road is narrowing.
Riding a motorcycle I am more than aware of the ease that I can be killed, so I have to ride for two people, or treat everyone as though they are trying to kill me.
Although a very sad story, this is just a reminder that we have to be careful 
It seems that more and more the blame is being placed on the driver of the vehicle. When I was young(a long time ago) everyone was encouraged to take the cycling proficiency test. This at least ensured a minimum of Highway Code Knowledge. There were also clubs for youngsters where they could learn about road safety(I think it was called the Tufty Club). Sadly these initiatives have fell by the wayside. My heart goes out to anyone who loses a loved one in a road accident, but it is time we started educating all road users instead of casting blame.
i had a close shave with a cyclist today.i was coming out of yard road in blairgowrie as i turned left to head towards perth i noticed this bike coming up the road as i checked my mirror, then due to the tight turn i lost sight of him for a few seconds.the next time i saw him he is right under my near side mirror.i had to stop as the pratt was holding on to the wheel arch.i jumped across to the passenger side and asked him what the f he thought he was doing,he replied thatâs a steep hill.i said do you bloody realise what could have happened to you,no he said i said you could have been dragged under the truck and killed and because your on my near side no one would have saw it and iâd end up in court on a murder charge.i should have phoned the cops but i know he would have disappeared by the time they got there.i suspect that this is not the 1st time that he has done this,so if any of you go to this place just beware as itâs a small little town with tight roads.just wide enough for an artic 
Allthough it is very sad to hear of such things happening I have to say that most of the time the cyclist is to blame, they dodge in and out of traffic, up the inside etc, how do they expect drivers to see everything 100% of the time.
As for banning trucks in London, Iâm sure most drivers would love that 
I used to deliver to supermarkets and other stores in London and people have no rgard for you trying to manouver etc cyclists were especially bad
Let them ban trucks from London and see how long it is before people start complaining about shops running out of goods 
I agree with pat about motorcycles especially after sundays exp with them on m1. i was heading down to maidstone and i think their had been some kind of bike weekend at donningtonâŚwether the traffic was flowing or as usual on m1 at a standstill they were weaving in and out of traffic and racing each other to see who had the biggest manhood no sorry bike i meant and i saw a few close shaves 
quite scary reallyâŚbut saying that i did see some motorcyclists who actually drove sensibly too 
so they aint all bad
tartanraider:
.A 7.5 tonne truck will kill as easily as a 44 tonne vehicle.The issue here is the lack of training/knowledge of other road users with regard to vehicles that suffer from restricted vision.
I think youâve pretty much nailed it on the head there Tartan. I actually think 7.5 tonners have poorer visibility than most artic units. I had my boss get a blind-spot mirror fitted on our companyâs Daf45 after a few near misses with vehicles and bikes in the blind spot.
Iâm not saying this girl was killed by her own mistakes, but we all know what itâs like driving in urban areas. Cyclists appear out of nowhere and then dissappear again in an instant - especially bike-couriers! Those guys are suicidal! I think the department should put adverts on telly warning cyclists about not sneaking alongside wagons - just like those that warn drivers about cyclists.
It ainât just the drivers who are to blame!!
Ther is one terrible blind spot on my truck, or rather there was untill i got another mirror. I find that if a car or otherwise is right alongside my cab I have to check 4 mirrors before seeing it, if I donât notice it creeping up in the first place I rarely know it is there. I passed a truck on I-87 one day and he flashed me in, once in the right lane I saw some guy flashing his lights and I pulled up, he said I had pushed him over (no contact had taken place) aparently he had come up the inside by switching infront of the truck that flashed me and racing up the inside, I pointed out that to pass on the inside of a truck was a very silly thing to do, especialy as I had already started to move over, he was just in a hurry. Passing either side is allowed here so you have to have eyes in the back of your head, these idiots are everywhere you look.
not a very good clip at all.the crushing of a coka cola can only shows that people dont use litter bins.
its very sad that the cyclist was killed but the verdict of accidental death proves it wasnt the drivers fault.
of course we have to be extra vigilant when driving LGVs but i think more should be done to make cyclists and pedestrians aware of the dangers of walking or riding into blind spots of large vehicles.
The other night I nearly squished a cyclist who thought it was okay to wear all black on a black bike with no lights at 10pm!! Then he gives me a dirty look when I had to slam on my brakes!
I didnât HAVE to stop, you dumb idiot. I couldâ've run straight over you⌠so why are you giving me abuse?
In that year 10 cyclists were killed on the roads. On average, 44% of those killed collided with goods vehicles over 3.5 tons.
So 4 people were killed by trucks and 6 were killed by cars. or 4.4 people by truck & 6.6 by car
Cyclistsâ deaths are still far lower than pedestrians and people killed in cars.
Im sorry about this woman its heartbreaking for it to happen to anyone. But that is life with all the multitude of risks people will die on the roads. It doesnt matter what you do, no bike lane or lorry mirror will stop it. but it seems it happens less with lorries than it does with cars!!! and your safer on a bike than walking - go figure?
I really like the idea about transfering everything from lorry to vans when you get to a town, now wouldnt that be fun.
A tragic accident that shouldnât have happened. But not justification to embark on a âcrusadeâ in memory of his daughter.
He spotted an advertisement for funding for people with a burning issue and began to make a film, fitting in his research around work and coming to terms with his daughterâs death.
Had he researched further then he would have discovered that The RMC Group had already made an excellent video called (I think) âBike - Think For Themâ.
So Mr Webb does not want large vehicle delivering in urban areas. Supposedly then, he is an advocate of âout of town shoppingâ. I was once told some figures (by the RHA) that reflects that for every artic that delivers to a supermarket, the goods on board will leave in, on averageâŚand whilst I canât remember the exact figure, it was well in excess of 200, cars. So, does he want x number of extra car journeys rather than one large vehicle being driven by a trained professional.
And whilst the Max Weights have nearly doubled in the last 40+ years, the lengths have only increased by a few feet.
âThe haulage industry knows thereâs a problem, itâs [a question of] trying to find a way to get the government to change the law that allows these vehicles in.â
First Iâve heard of it.
I feel sorry for him. He is campaigning from a position of ignorance. His efforts would better utilised training cyclists rather than condemning an Industry vital to the economic prosperity of this Country.
Personal viewpoint.
Too many car drivers and cyclists these days have no idea about what a truck has to do to get places, they have no idea how many BIG blind spots there are on a truck, nor how to behave around them.
Admitedly, not all truck drivers behave the way they should either, but thatâs still no excuse for how everyone else acts.
The number of people who seem to think itâs ok to cut up trucks, or hide in blind spots, and then act all surprised and outraged when it all goes horribly wrong is almost sickening. The list of occasions where I could have easily flattened a family of 4 is way too long already.
i have lost count the number of times i have had cyclists come up the inside of me while waiting at lights junctions etc.
also riding 2 abreast or having no lights on at night.make it law that any new bike sold should have lights fitted.
what about horses they do the same 2 abreast.
I cant stand most cyclists! There is about 98% who should not be aloud on the road without taking some form of driving test, The other 2 % have taken a car test, pcv or hgv test or been cuaght out before on a bike and ended up with a sore head!
Common thing I hated, Cylcists coming up your left then sitting right in front of you causing you to sit and wait to the traffic is clear to get past.
Cylcing up your left as you nogotiote a left turn with a christmas tree of lights showing you are turning left. Just becsause your eco friendly doesnt mean im going to see you and stop!
The biggest thing that annoys me, Im sitting at a bus stop indicating to pull out in to traffic sitting for a few years as no one will let you out, Just as a gap apears, Who wake up, check mirrors and accelerate, checking right mirror as you start to pull away and whoâs just put his head around the rear of your bus, Yes its the guy on the bike!! who chose to ignore my indicators and sound of an engine revving, as well as traffic coming up fast behind him.
I nearly knocked one down a few nights ago, Pitch dark road im running down with head lights and full beam on, I just spot something unusual in the light, something that should not have been there and wake up slighty⌠Next thing I know is a cylist riding towards me on my side of the road, It was the only bike ive seen for a long time who used headlights!!! I didnt know bikes could have them fitted? They still dont know how to ride the bikes!
As for horses, I !Always! take more care around them, Just for the simple reason I care too much for the horses and would not like to hurt one of them through my bad driving. Also it might hurt me a little bit, Some of those are big!
Ive seen the mess a cow can make to an HGV and its not a pretty sight.
danielwilkie:
The biggest thing that annoys me, Im sitting at a bus stop indicating to pull out in to traffic sitting for a few years as no one will let you out, Just as a gap apears, Who wake up, check mirrors and accelerate, checking right mirror as you start to pull away and whoâs just put his head around the rear of your bus, Yes its the guy on the bike!! who chose to ignore my indicators and sound of an engine revving, as well as traffic coming up fast behind him.
But the cyclist is in the right why should he give way to you
simon
neil46:
also riding 2 abreast
Doesnât say that itâs wrong, only that you shouldnât do it on âbusy or narrow roadsâ. In fact, it can be a good way for an experienced cyclist to help a nervous one get road experience - the experienced one gives some shielding from the BMWs, Audis and white vans. (and yes, I know that there are good drivers of all of the above out there - theyâre just rather rare.)
neil46:
make it law that any new bike sold should have lights fitted.
God, no. Theyâll fit the [zb]iest lights they can legally get away with, so theyâll be virtually useless, and the people who buy them will just assume that theyâre good enough, whilst those of us who want something actually useful will have to spend money on something thatâs just going to be thrown away. Iâd rather that the law was better enforced.
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God, no. Theyâll fit the [zb]iest lights they can legally get away with, so theyâll be virtually useless, and the people who buy them will just assume that theyâre good enough, whilst those of us who want something actually useful will have to spend money on something thatâs just going to be thrown away. Iâd rather that the law was better enforced.
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At night your cycle MUST have front and rear lights lit. It MUST also be fitted with a red rear reflector (and amber pedal reflectors, if manufactured after 1/10/85). White front reflectors and spoke reflectors will also help you to be seen. Law RVLR regs 18 & 24
and another thing how often do you see cyclists riding along busy main roads and just to their left is a nice shiny cycle lane 
At night your cycle MUST have front and rear lights lit. It MUST also be fitted with a red rear reflector (and amber pedal reflectors, if manufactured after 1/10/85). White front reflectors and spoke reflectors will also help you to be seen. Law RVLR regs 18 & 24
and another thing how often do you see cyclists riding along busy main roads and just to their left is a nice shiny cycle lane