HGV Blind Spots

I agree with you guys... its happened to me too. Silly post by me.

I often wonder the wisdom of excluding cars entirely from bus lanes. Back home when you learn to drive, you;re taught to move to the left lane some distance prior to the turn, presumably to avoid obstructing continuing traffic.

Seems over here everyone is so fearful of fines that they turn across the bus lane at the last minute. I get cut up like this on Commercial road pretty regularly...

Nice to see Brighton & Hove Council have made a positive move and started baging the back of their council vand and lorries with the following stickers;

^ i think that is a lot better than those small notes saying "don't ride up the left", but maybe not as clear to those who don't know what they mean, possibly these with a small note, and a loud alarm would be best.

Just come past a big Met Police HGVs are dangerous public awareness thingy at London Bridge... Stopped to chat to one of the motorbike cops and he said this was the start of a major campaign to increase awareness of the dangers for road users, he knocked out loads of statistics at me and we had a nice chat... There's also a Keltbray HGV parked up with it's blindspot marked out on the road in front of it... Worth dropping in and having a look if you're in the area... There must've been about 20 coppers out, are things beginning to change?

Nothing is beginning to change if the only action being taken is to "educate the cyclists"... that's based on a premise that if it weren't for the cyclists this stuff wouldn't happen, when actually sending large trucks down small roads is an issue, as are long shifts and tired drivers, as are the many distractions a driver has, as are trucks that are not fit for purpose (lacking devices to increase driver visibility in those blind spots, or even alert systems and cameras for the blind spots).

Things will change when the problem isn't treated as being a cyclist problem and changes occur in legislation that raise the standard of trucks and their drivers. Driving a truck in a congested metropolis is an advanced skill requiring different equipment than a truck on a motorway, and it should be seen as such and the bar raised to enforce it.

I'm not knocking the education program for what that can do, I think it's really important that people know the limitations of these vehicles and can act accordingly to protect themselves... but no, things are not changing.

Spot on, David, that the onus shouldn't be placed on the cyclists alone. Fortunately, lots of other things are happening, on which Charlie can brief you better than I could.

It is clearly understood, and certainly by the people who set up the 'Changing Places' events, that much work needs to be done with freight operators and their employees, too.

These events are run by the Commercial Vehicle Unit which the Metropolitan Police took on following our campaign when GLA funding for the old CVEU was cancelled by the Mayor of London. They have Health and Safety powers and policing powers and are very effective, staffed with experienced officers. Only time will tell, but we're cautiously optimistic.

Thins is really useful. In my short time cycling in London I haven't had much problem with lorries (although my friend had his bike completely crushed). Van drivers on the other hand are nearly all terrible. Mainly because they have zero patience and try to overtake in the most ridiculous places.

scary video of a cyclist undertaking an HGV... twice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12fMTAQyXTI&feature=related

I've seen this before...he's a real pro, cycling in the gutter and all...stupid.

why didn't either of them use the cyclepath through the tunnel?

Because there's a road we can ride on instead of the inadequate 'cyclepath'.

Road are perfectly safe if we take the road like the bloke in the recumbent, but also dangerous if we rode like the bloke on the MTB.

true,
but is that an inadequate cycle path, ive never cycled it, have you?

if its just a short one though a tunnel to the other side of the bridge where you can rejoin the road, and carry on i'd do that every time rather then cycle under the bridge where the car's bunch together.

A lots of cycle path is way beyond inadequated, I would safety assumed that this one is also inadequated.

this is true, i know most seem to make no sence, and don't help in any way

but having just looked at this juction on google maps, in this case, personaly, that cyclepath is perfectly adequate and i'd use it all the time, its a preference thing. you can cycle right thought and rejoin the road, (if going right, different matter of course.though id still use the tunnel either way) i just don't get why anyone would want to cycle though a bunched up dark tunnel when there is a safe option

entrance
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?layer=c&cbll=51.486426,-0.123631&cbp=12,117.44,,0,8.27&cid=5020812061267913589&q=vauxhall+train+station&ved=0CCAQ2wU&ei=KVYnTJeEBKW8jAfA8pDgCA&ie=UTF8&hq=vauxhall+train+station&hnear=&ll=51.48638,-0.123489&spn=0,0.018926&t=h&z=16&panoid=iDqE31khDW5OCYSW_BUBfw

exit
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?layer=c&cbll=51.486208,-0.121724&cbp=12,299.24,,0,8.27&cid=5020812061267913589&q=vauxhall+train+station&ved=0CCAQ2wU&ei=KVYnTJeEBKW8jAfA8pDgCA&ie=UTF8&hq=vauxhall+train+station&hnear=&ll=51.486247,-0.122824&spn=0,0.018926&t=h&z=16&panoid=frGVq_m8_5EHw0a2I8dcrw

Here's a video of it.
http://www.youtube.com/user/gaz545#p/search/0/TWO__DRSpJ4

definitely inadequate from Vee's link.

i dunno the first bit you don't need to worry about, as there is a path right from the road before the tunnel, the bit after the tunnel you can ride right back into the cycle lane, if you continue on that rode,

still for me to lose 2-3 mins on my ride it won't bother me, to stop, i know that's not what some like, but for me, its fine, i don' wanna risk it when there is no need

Thing is, you're cycling on a pavement, mixing with peds isn't something that we should do in the first place, especially with cycle lane as narrow as a fixie skidder handlebar.

The island hasn't even got a cycle path until you got onto the other side of the road.

Then before you enter the tunnel, there's a footbridge in the way with another slightly small gap, again mixing with peds.

Although the tunnel appear big, you're still mixing with peds, especially at the exit when the tunnel get narrower, and have a chance of collision if a peds appear from the right side.

it does not help that at time this area get congested with peds.

etc. etc.

basically it's just cycling on pavement, except you're allowed to.

oh totally, its not at all perfect i understand, and it should be a lot lot better. every bit of cycle stuff everywhere pretty much should be better.

though for me, at that junction i'd take the peds over cars everyday. spesh with the congestion, i'd rather hit a ped then a car.

though now we are getting onto personal preference here

Something on you and yours, Radio 4 today about HGVs and cyclist deaths.

Due to request from other members a repost from another thread:

Shouted at some idiots going past me and inside filtering past a lorry at Old St this morning, after I had stopped behind it. I shouted not to do it but just got told to fuck off.

I am not being funny, insensitive or defensive to lorry drivers but people need to learn never to undertake a lorry! It is not safe, yes lorries are also idiotic and over take and then turn in or overtake at the lights. But some cyclists really do not help themselves or the stats that the media love.

If we stopped inside filtering then there would be no requirement for inside sensors or such like equipment that may not work any way.