Attempting to shift responsibility?

[gambatte]

It was a motorway commute today, so no bike.
Anyway, something caught my eye.
There's all the incidents/discussion etc over the last few years about near side blind spots on wagons etc. We've seen the appearance of signs to the rear of wagons advising against cycling down the nearside.
So there I was outside lane, 70mph on the M1 and I'm passing a flatbed truck. It's about the size of a transit. As you'd expect the rear of the cab has a window.
The tailgate has an approx 10" x 10" yellow sign, bike symbol and black text "Cyclist beware of travelling down this side" or some such wording.
Whaddya reckon?
My 1st thought was "no real nearside blindspot", a poor attempt to shift the blame incase of any incident - "they shouldn't have been passing - I've got a big sign"

 

[fossyant]

I think the signs are useful - it may just make an in-experienced cyclist think about why you should not undertake.

 

[martint235]

I think if you have intentionally put yourself down the side of a truck when it may be turning then you have to accept some of the blame. This is regardless of whether you're on a bike or in a car and regardless of whether or not there is a blindspot.

I'm sure there have been occasions where the driver of the truck has been responsible for the cyclist being in the dangerous area on the left hand side of a truck as it turns and an injury has occurred but I have a sneaky suspicion it is more often than not the cyclist that puts themselves there so the more warnings not to do it the better as far as I'm concerned.

 

[sidevalve]

I think if you have intentionally put yourself down the side of a truck when it may be turning then you have to accept some of the blame. This is regardless of whether you're on a bike or in a car and regardless of whether or not there is a blindspot.

I'm sure there have been occasions where the driver of the truck has been responsible for the cyclist being in the dangerous area on the left hand side of a truck as it turns and an injury has occurred but I have a sneaky suspicion it is more often than not the cyclist that puts themselves there so the more warnings not to do it the better as far as I'm concerned.

+ 1. 'course there will always be those too immature to accept resposibility for their own safety banging on about somebodyelse's fault but if you're too foolish a rider, or too arrogant [which is much worse] and put yourself in danger just to prove a point then maybe you don't belong in the grown up world.

 

[Boris Bajic]

I think this sort of thing is helpful.

You saw the vehicle on a Motorway, but it's unlikely its journey started or finished on one.

In town, the cyclist approaching from the rear in heavy traffic might be a child or a novice rider swept along in all this recent post TdF fluff.

We cyclists are let loose on the roads (quite rightly in my view) with no mandatory training.

That being so, a little hint here and there does no harm. If that hint is on a mobile sign in the very place where a novice might be weighing up the merits of some nearside filtering - all the better.

 

[martint235]

+ 1. 'course there will always be those too immature to accept resposibility for their own safety banging on about somebodyelse's fault but if you're too foolish a rider, or too arrogant [which is much worse] and put yourself in danger just to prove a point then maybe you don't belong in the grown up world.

Life is full of little surprises. I was actually expecting to be flamed because "it's always the fault of the driver. Us cyclists are blameless in all things". Thanks for restoring a bit of my faith!

 

[Alun]

It's similar to the signs on lorries which say "If you can't see my mirrors then I can't see you". It reminds people about the limited visibility surrounding large vehicles.

 

[gambatte]

Don't get me wrong, I see they're appropriate on wagons
What I wondered was, at what level are these appropriate? If it's appropriate on a small flat bed wagon, which generally has as good visibility as most cars - why not on all cars too? Why not occasional aides de memoire on every other lamp post?
My C5 isn't much shorter than that flatbed and sadly probably has worse visibility
Should I stick a sign on the back of mine, warning cyclists not to pass on the nearside?
There are some vehicles it should be safe to filter past in this way. I'ds have figured this was one?

 

[Poacher]

Wow! You have a Sinclair C5?

 

[Herr-B]

I think all drivers should be made to cycle every now and again, and all cyclists should have a go of driving something large. I also believe that every vehicle driver should start off on a motorbike to make them more aware of, well, everything.

Seeing things from both sides makes perfect sense.

 

[Boris Bajic]

I think all drivers should be made to cycle every now and again, and all cyclists should have a go of driving something large. I also believe that every vehicle driver should start off on a motorbike to make them more aware of, well, everything.

Seeing things from both sides makes perfect sense.

As a moderate-to-average cyclist, motorcyclist, driver and truck driver, I agree that each additional skill lessens the likelihood of being crap at the others.

However, none has made me particularly good at any; just less bad.

I also hesitate to recommend that these things become mandatory.

Although most bicycle-only cyclists would be better road users with some experience behind the wheel of a car, van and lorry, there are those who have no need of such things and those (perhaps a larger group) who would deny flatly that bimbling round like a couch-potato moton could possibly improve their awareness, anticipation, courtesy or catlike reflexes.

You are right to wish for it, but I would never support its imposition as a mandatory prerequisite.

 

[Norm]

Is it just me who is thinking that flat bed trailers only offer their drivers "good visibility" when they are empty? Stick a load on there and they are as limited as any other commercial rigid.

 

[gambatte]

But no more so than my car, with the kids in the back and the dog in the boot?

 

[GrasB]

Don't get me wrong, I see they're appropriate on wagons
What I wondered was, at what level are these appropriate? If it's appropriate on a small flat bed wagon, which generally has as good visibility as most cars - why not on all cars too? Why not occasional aides de memoire on every other lamp post?
My C5 isn't much shorter than that flatbed and sadly probably has worse visibility
Should I stick a sign on the back of mine, warning cyclists not to pass on the nearside?
There are some vehicles it should be safe to filter past in this way. I'ds have figured this was one?

I assume you mean a Citroen C5. I've driven an Estate & I can think of smaller cars with far worse rear visibility.

 

[Drago]

Thing is, anyone dumb enough to do that is unlikely to be the sort of person to read warning notices anyway.