Any question answered...

Start a thread in 'General', I'd say.

Very sorry to hear about Lily's death.

Also, there seems to be something odd going on with your link, it doesn't resolve for me.

https://safertrailers.wordpress.com/2017/08/11/we-need-your-help-tell-the-department-for-transport-that-you-want-agricultural-trailers-to-be-safer/

@Velocio, I get a 'Not found' on microcosm.app for that link, which may be the same problem as when entering the link manually, various odd characters are inserted. Not sure if the one in this post works, but I'll try in a moment.

^ Yes, that works--not sure what happens with the other one. Is it the same for everybody else?

It works

Ah good, now it does, it didn't a moment ago.

Just saw in one of the tabs that for some reason it generated this link:

https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/157436/safertrailers.wordpress.com/2017/08/11/we-need-your-help-tell-the-department-for-transport-that-you-want-agricultural-trailers-to-be-safer/

This was on Firefox 54.0 on Linux.

Cool, will do. She died just over 2 years ago, her Dad's been trying to sort out safety bars for trailers since.

It's really awful to read the description of the crash. So desperately unlucky.

And avoidable.

They all are. Reading about the crash, I would say that it sounds as if the main risk factor was excessive speed on the part of the tractor driver.

True, but having the barriers on the trailer may well have saved her life anyway.

That's impossible to know. It says she fell between the tractor and the trailer, where presumably there would have been a gap that would have been there even if sideguards had been fitted. I don't want to speculate about a crash I don't know anything much about, though, and the description may be flawed.

I support sideguards, of course, but they're just one of many good measures. As ever with health and safety, the most important changes to make are those in human behaviour, e.g. slowing down in this case, and protective equipment is lower down on the list.

For sure, obviously it's the fault of the driver and they could've avoided it by driving better. I know less details of the crash than the family and they are pretty sure it would've made a difference so I've always assumed she fell in a place where guards would've helped. They're already required on trucks and the like and it seems daft that the same doesn't already apply to trailers where they can obviously and easily save lives. Fixing shitty drivers, while obviously a better solution, is much harder to do.

Yes, I'm sure the family have a point, and obviously all these measures help. I think, though, that addressing standards of driving for drivers of agricultural vehicles would not be quite as hard to do as addressing standards of driving generally, as there are far fewer agricultural drivers than drivers generally, even in a country where agribusiness is a major pillar of the economy as in the NL. Never mind, I don't want to distract from the petition and consultation.

Link to the thread: https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/308957/

Ta.

More like 4...

Sorry for not posting this in a drinks thread but I got into town at 6:30 this morning and am dealing with some jet lag. Anyone want to get together for a beer in the next couple of days? I'm staying on Kingsland Rd but could get to anywhere in zone 1/2 no problem.
Can't do it tonight, I'm barely standing as it is.

What is this small flying creature?

1 Attachment

You're thinking dessert?

Some variety of ant?

http://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.asp?identification=Common-Thread-Waisted-Wasp

The Thread-Waisted Wasp paralyzes its prey by stinging it. Its larvae then eats its victim alive.

There is no God

The victims are evil bastards and God is righteous and good.

I'd be up for tomorrow night. Chesham?

Hope you have a great time in London once you overcome your jetlag.