Article from a lorry driver who hit a cyclist

[lulubel]

You cannot cycle under a truck then blame him.

I don't see anyone here saying it was the lorry driver's fault. What I'm seeing is an analysis of the accident, based on the information we've been given (which is incomplete), and a discussion about how drivers can avoid something like that happening to them.

What I'm saying is that drivers should take more care, and drive more slowly, around vulnerable road users, to give themselves time to react.

What you seem to be saying is that drivers should just hoot their horns at everyone. How far do you take this? All cyclists, obviously. Pedestrians walking along the pavement, who might step out without looking? Other vehicles waiting to turn out of junctions, that might pull out? Vehicles in the next lane, that might change lane without warning?

Horn tooting is a popular pass time here in Spain. Everyone ignores it.

 

[Hitchington]

Oh, whatever. Show me a cyclist who presents a serious threat of death and injury to anyone in his path. If your lifestyle choices have led you to take a job as a driver of heavy vehicles on the roads that we all share then you have a duty of responsibility to do everything in your power to minimise the threat of danger that you pose to other road users.

So he weaved in and out of traffic without indicating. So what?

So he's putting himself in danger and an increased chance of getting knocked off his bike probably. Bike riders haven't got a free reign to use the road with disregard for their own safety, if they ride like this then they should expect to be seriously injured or killed.

 

[Peter Armstrong]

Yes exactly what the horns for, if a ped isnt looking and steps out you toot the horn, cyclist that isnt looking over his @shoulder, toot to let him know your passing, congrats, thats what its for.

 

[lulubel]

Yes exactly what the horns for, if a ped isnt looking and steps out you toot the horn, cyclist that isnt looking over his @shoulder, toot to let him know your passing, congrats, thats what its for.

In 3 years as a bus driver, I used my horn once (because someone was about to reverse out of a petrol station into the car in front of me, and they obviously weren't hearing his horn). I managed not to hit any cyclists, pedestrians or other vehicles because I anticipated their actions and drove accordingly.

As I stated in my post above (and you apparently chose to ignore) excessive horn use by motorists leads to horns being ignored.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Peter A. Peds stepping out into the road perpendicular to traffic flow fair enough, but are you seriously suggesting we ride everywhere looking backwards just to not get beeped at. Silly idea.
I'm not a fan of getting beeped at and yes we all know what the horn is *intended* to be used for but invariably it is an instrument of aggression in the drivers armoury saying f@%* off out of my way, not only to bikes but to other MVs too There may be exceptions such as this driver but until we all become psychic (and thus don't need beeping at) how are we to differentiate between someone simply intent on imposing their right of way by whatever means necessary or someone assuming we're all recklessly suicidal idiots based on one bad experience or someone that genuinely thinks they are helping us by effectively standing directly behind us on the street and bellowing hello down our lughole.

 

[Peter Armstrong]

Look we are talking about this truck driver who was unfortunate to have a cyclist who turn into his truck. If the cyclist checked over his shoulder he wouod have saw him and not pulled across, and if the driver tooted his horn the cyclist would have reolised the truck was there. Both would have avoided the incident, so yes check over your bloody shoulder before moving over because it mite save your life!

 

[Peter Armstrong]

Remember I didnt invent the horn or make the rules up, I simply follow them.

 

[Slaav]

If the lorry was doing 20mph and an idiot on a bike simply turns into his path - it aint going to end up well! Admittedly he may not have ended up in a ditch at 20mph but...

I know there are two sides but come on - there were plenty of people on scene so my assumption would be there were witnesses. Who would presumably have suggested that the Lorry driver was NOT at fault?

 

[totallyfixed]

I suspect not many truck drivers on here, I don't usually like getting involved in these kind of discussions that turn into personal vendettas but.....
I know this stretch of road really well, it is a Time Trial course we have used and Marston Moretaine was a cafe stop for the club run so to put some perspective into the story, the road has good sight lines, a good surface and has gentle bends plenty of distance apart so fine for overtaking it is also reasonably wide but I have found it in the past to be always quite busy as it links Bedford and Milton Keynes.
Overtaking a cyclist in a truck requires a deal of forethought, you certainly would not want to attempt it slowly as there is always the danger if you do of being stranded on the wrong side of the road for too long. If you are overtaking a cyclist in any sort of vehicle the safest way is to indicate, pass as far away from the rider as is safely practical and imo as quickly as possible, ok if the road is dead straight and there is no other traffic you can go slower but otherwise, it isn't only the cyclist who is in potential danger.
On the horn thing, a short toot is fine, a longer blare, to me anyway signifies aggression. If you are cycling into a headwind on a narrow road there is every chance you will not be aware of a car behind you and even less if it is electric because of the wind noise. On the few occasions I have had a car toot at me from behind I have always given a wave in acknowledgement and nearly always get one back. If a cyclist gave me the finger for the actions as described I would be tempted to stop and have a quiet word.

 

[sabian92]

me thinks you need to
a; understand and accept what a car horn is actually supposed to be used for
b; grow a pair

I know what a car horn is for. I also think that telling a cyclist you're there with one is a bit pointless because, funnily enough, people notice a tonne and a half of metal on wheels moving around and making noise. It's also incredibly rude.

Grow a pair? Sorry that the surprise scares me. I hate loud noises at the best of times due to a learning difficulty I have - can't be helped. Also, the noise hurts my ears which can't be helped either. It's a piercing noise, and everybody is different.

http://www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/services/ad_symptoms.php

Read the above, specifically the section titled "Perception (Interpretation of the different senses)" and tell me a need to grow a pair. Don't be an arse because you think I'm a pansy, because it makes you look a knob. Also, considering I'M the one with the learning difficulty, you sure as hell SPELL like you have one.

 

[Peter Armstrong]

I do think its not nice to tell someone to grow a pair but also you dont always hear q truck, I dont if doing 30mph plus I just hear shwwwww swwshhh hhhhshh wssss

 

[mickle]

d

Look we are talking about this truck driver who was unfortunate to have a cyclist who turn into his truck.... !

Is it stating the painfully bleedin' obvious to point out that it's the cyclist who's the unfortunate one in this story?

 

[mickle]

Anyone who cycles regularly on British roads will expect to have a truck overtake them occasionally. We dont need a beep thanks we need lots of space and low overtaking speeds. And if there isnt enough space to overtake safely then dont overtake. Its not farking rocket science.

 

[GrasB]

Horns on motor vehicles aren't suitable for 'use' on pedestrians & cyclists when you have a direct sight line to them unless it's an emergency. They are too loud & startle people which means the victim is more likly to fall over/off their bike

As for this low speed overtaking malarkey, what are you trying to do maximise the danger to all road users?!
Let me put this in context here - An overtake on a single carriageway is the the most dangerous legal manoeuvre one can do. A proper overtake puts two vehicles into a head on collision trajectory with a high closing speed. As one vehicle should be (almost) completely in the oncoming carriageway. With these high closing speeds, remember at a mear 30mph the closing speed is 60mph, the required distances are large & reaction times will typically be longer than normal as people try to work out what's going on. So to complete a safe overtake one wants a large distance to the vehicle/person being overtaken & a high overtaking speed to minimise the amount of time the overtaker, overtakee & the oncoming car are all in direct road space conflict!

 

[Peter Armstrong]

d

Is it stating the painfully bleedin' obvious to point out that it's the cyclist who's the unfortunate one in this story?

Because people are going on about being bus drivers or how the dont need to look over their shoulders etc whicj was irrelevant because in this case beeping and looking over the sholder before making a move would have changed the out come, dont nit pick my comment out of content, plus if u dont want to be piped by a horn when being passed take it up withe government or whoever made the rule up.