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BBC article about HGV and female cyclists, definately an issue that needs to be addressed.
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Did anyone make it down?
Let's do more of this sort of thing.
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There is only one police unit in London qualified to carry out HGV checks.
Boris plans to scrap it.
*Questions going to the Mayor tomorrow include:
*Will the cuts to the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit make London's
roads less safe for cyclists? *
HGVs in London have a dreadful safety record. Because the HSE refuse
to get involved in road deaths as opposed to deaths onsite, cyclists
deaths are ignored on London's roads and penalties to killer drivers
are laughable.The most dangerous vehilces, the ones that pose the greatest danger
and the ones that are involved in a disproportionate number of deaths,
are given even greater leeway to lumber around a medievel road layout
unimpeded.City of London [Police] spot checks on HGVs [were] carried out on 30
September 2008 as part of the Europe-wide Operation Mermaid2, which is
intended to step up levels of enforcement of road safety laws in
relation to lorries.
On this one day, 12 lorries were stopped randomly by City Police. Five
of those lorries were involved in the construction work for the 2012
Olympics. All of the twelve lorries were breaking the law in at least
one wayRepeat:
a 100 per cent criminality rate among small random sample of
HGVs on the streets of central London. The offences range included
overweight loads (2 cases), mechanical breaches (5 cases), driver
hours breaches (5 cases), mobile phone use while driving (2 cases),
driving without insurance (2 cases) and no operator license (1 case). -
^ that is shocking but not surprising!
I didn't get this note till late. how did it go? -
a 100 per cent criminality rate among small random sample of
HGVs on the streets of central London. The offences range included
overweight loads (2 cases), mechanical breaches (5 cases), driver
hours breaches (5 cases), mobile phone use while driving (2 cases),
driving without insurance (2 cases) and no operator license (1 case).Shocking.
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Turning to the issues of lorries, Inspector Aspinall told the meeting
about a day of City of London spot checks on HGVs, carried out on 30
September 2008 as part of the Europe-wide Operation Mermaid, which is
intended to step up levels of enforcement of road safety laws in
relation to lorries.On this one day, 12 lorries were stopped randomly by City Police.
Five of those lorries were involved in the construction work for the
2012 Olympics. All of the twelve lorries were breaking the law in at
least one way.Repeat: a 100 per cent criminality rate among small random sample of
HGVs on the streets of central London. The offences range included
overweight loads (2 cases), mechanical breaches (5 cases), driver
hours breaches (5 cases), mobile phone use while driving (2 cases),
driving without insurance (2 cases) and no operator license (1 case).
In some cases the drivers were given a warning and in other cases
there was a more formal police follow up.No information was given on
convictions following this operation.Inspector Aspinall said that the London construction vehicle market
(skips, cement mixers, construction materials haulage) was very tight
and competitive. Shady operators with dubious standards and legality
exerted a downward pressure on market prices and that was forcing even
the more responsible companies to cut corners in order to win tenders.** Some companies were even factoring into their costs the
inevitability of a certain number of fines for breaches of the law. **I found this revelation shocking.
http://thebikeshow.net/city-of-london-police-road-safety-forum/#more-342
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Aparently Boris has been sending educational DVDs out to freight operators about taking appropriate care for cycles, who thinks that one is making a difference?
that's about as useful as a fart in a jar
maybe he can send some educational DVD's to the families of the deceased and injured explaining to them why he is a twat.
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An educational DVD you say? Thank fuck for Boris - now the streets are safe! TWAT. How much did that DVD cost to make and distribute? You can buy a mirror for the front lorry blind spot for £15. Why didn't he just send them one of those each?
RT @GreenJennyJones We can't do our job. Tomorrow the Mayor will make a major (and late) transport statement (cuts?). Not today, so we can't ask him questions.
RT @thebikeshow Mayor Boris didn't mention his planned cuts to the only police unit in London qualified to carry out HGV checks.
Total coward.
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You can buy a mirror for the front lorry blind spot for £15. Why didn't he just send them one of those each?
It seems such a simple task but so hard to enforce... for them.
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More thoughts on scary trucks in london famous london.
Todays truck, the rare but not entirely unseen tree surgery spec UNIMOG
-Note the 8ft solid steel chipper protruding from the bumper. This is permanently mounted, it does fold to some extent but still sticks out a good 5ft or so. This could cause problems as they tend to creep out at junctions as the drivers vision is obstructed by the machinery, i imagine the vast majority of cyclists will be looking for car shaped objects so this may cause problems.
-Also, they're big. Think 7.5ton truck but taller and almost as wide as a full artic, then add the chipper at the front and possibly a trailer as well.
-Primarily designed as a military vehicle for use off road/areas such as airports/farms where traffic is restricted, as a result of this they are classed as agricultural vehicles and as such do not come under the same safety regs as regular Trucks. this means the mirrors are woefully small, especially on older examples
-Piloted by tired, overworked tree surgeons - I have way too many horror stories on this subject. An industry where alcoholism, drug use and too much agression/testosterone are commonplace is no place for unsafe vehicles imho. Then again its no place for booze/drugs/wankers either but it doesn't ever change...Oh, and the real kicker? As its technically a farm vehicle it can be driven on a tractor license by a 16yr old, or a regular car driving license at 17 - no special training/tests required - wtf?
There are several tree companies who operate in central london and many many others around the country who use these trucks(along with countless other industries no doubt) so be warned. They're big, archaic military vehicles barely adequate to be on the roads at all, let alone in the middle of town.
I have no idea if there have been any accidents directly relating to mogs in london but I've nearly been taken out by one who overtook me correctly, then turned left across my path into a junction. chased down to berate the driver, turned out a former collegue of mine was in the driving seat. cunt.
Avoid like the plague.Tomorrows truck: the pikey rag and bone transit pickup with plywood sides held together with bailer twine. Frequent impromptue stopping to rob copper/alu and poorly secured loads. Fail.
Overly long and slightly irrelevant post but seemed the best place for it after what i've just read here already.
More enforcement, not less boris you silly tit.
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They're big, archaic military vehicles barely adequate to be on the roads at all, let alone in the middle of town.
Unimogs?
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Yup.
Even the brand new ones freak me out. Sat in the cab of one at a trade show last year. The blindspots are worse than anything else i've ever been in. And thats before adding the box on the back for woodchip etc.
I know they're incredible pieces of engineering but not in london. No way. Mirrors should be scrapped in favour of cameras, unfortunately these would be demolished by falling branches in a week and the screens in the cab used for porn/eastenders.i hate my job
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An educational DVD you say? Thank fuck for Boris - now the streets are safe! TWAT. How much did that DVD cost to make and distribute? You can buy a mirror for the front lorry blind spot for £15. Why didn't he just send them one of those each?
RT @GreenJennyJones We can't do our job. Tomorrow the Mayor will make a major (and late) transport statement (cuts?). Not today, so we can't ask him questions.
RT @thebikeshow Mayor Boris didn't mention his planned cuts to the only police unit in London qualified to carry out HGV checks.
Total coward.
he did suggest they were sending out mirrors for the blind spots as well, but didn't specify how many. that's not entirely the point though. it's important that the vehicles on the road comply with the law, and the unit are qualified to spot, stop and give the drivers the information they need to be safe and in road legal vehicles, and with them being 'officials' within the police force, might actually get a bit of respect.
@edmundro - those things are terrifying.
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the fare increases have hit the news, (twitter, the standard http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23756905-huge-fare-rises-and-pound-10-c-charge.do ) but nothing yet ref funding of this police unit.
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hey just wanted to mention this. a mate of mine who works in casualty says that she's treated about a dozen cyclists who were injured in accidents with hgv's recently.
she says that almost all of the victims say that the last thing they remember is being sucked under the trucks. be careful when passing/getting passed by these things. give them plenty of room.
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15.10.09
A specialist police unit dealing with HGV accidents is to be disbanded.
Transport for London has withdrawn the £1 million-a-year funding that pays for the Met's Commercial Vehicle Education Unit, which helps prevent cyclists being crushed by lorries.
Mayor Boris Johnson, who is chairman of TfL, was told shutting down the unit was "misguided".
The CVEU will close in March.
Jenny Jones, a Green party London Assembly member, said:* "The Mayor is risking Londoners' lives in order to save a small amount of money."*
hippy
Bernhard
Oliver Schick
spindrift
Greasy_Slag
zero
Skülly
sem
Ufrasia
LaLiLuLeLo
somebody
edmundro
alien8
teddy-
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About
Mayor's Questions - HGV action
Posted by
@charlie_lcc
Questions going to the Mayor tomorrow include:
Will the cuts to the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit make London's roads less safe for cyclists?
2 more questions on sorting out the Valence Rd x Whitechapel Rd junction.
Is anyone up for an ad-hoc demo 9am-10am????