Being around lorries

[Arch]

Last night, NT and I watched a driving training video he happened to have in his collection, about the basics of driving a large goods vehicle.

Part of the video was a split-screen effect, showing the view forward, and on each side, the rear view mirror view. It really brought home how much an HGV driver's view is obscured by his trailer, once he starts to turn, even a little.

I think of myself as a cautious driver, although rather out of practice in even a car, and I was trying to imagine driving through a town with the view shown, and it terrified me!

The video was from 1992, and I gather lorries have more mirrors fitted these days, but no mirror will eliminate the blind spot caused by the trailer moving relative to the tractor unit on turns. And it was stressful enough looking at the simple view, without additional mirrors.

Then there's the huge amount of space required for a long vehicle to turn at a junction - needing to move right over to the right, in order to turn left and so on.

I like to think I'm pretty aware of this stuff, having driven 7.5 tonners in my time, but it's always good to be reminded. Last year at York Rally they had an HGV set up for cyclists to get up in the cab and look in the mirrors, and that was good too.

So basically, don't take chances near big trucks. Don't squeeze down the sides of them, and hang well back if they are turning. Yes, there are careless truck drivers, but don't make life harder for the good ones! (and that goes for when you're driving a car too! There were shots of car drivers pushing past when a lorry was trying to turn, some drivers really can't bear to be held up for a moment)

Whether such vehicles ought to be in our towns and cities is another question. For now, we're stuck with them.

 

[sidevalve]

Something else to be aware of is the increasing no of european LHD trucks out there. Sorry to say this but although many drivers are responsible there are a good few that aint and finding a driver after an accident once he's left for eastern europe is often a lost cause.

 

[sunnyjim]

Wise words. Some people seem to have more trouble co-existing with the rest of the traffic than others. While rules help, safety on the road depends to a large extent on co-operation, understanding, and courtesy between all road users. Number of incidents ( for both cyclists & motorists) may be partly a function of miles and locations, but I suspect (with no proof) that those with experience of driving a variety of vehicles find driving and cycling safer and more relaxing. Making allowances for the other vehicle - expecting the wide swing before turning of an artic, sitting well back to allow a bus to cross the centreline when entering from a side street, slowing down to let a heavy low acceleration truck enter a junction even if you could claim 'right of way', making intentions clear to drivers who have restricted visibility.
Drivers of large unwieldy vehicles seldom fail to acknowledge little courtesies even from very small pedal powered vehicles IME.

 

[sidevalve]

Wise words. Some people seem to have more trouble co-existing with the rest of the traffic than others. While rules help, safety on the road depends to a large extent on co-operation, understanding, and courtesy between all road users. Number of incidents ( for both cyclists & motorists) may be partly a function of miles and locations, but I suspect (with no proof) that those with experience of driving a variety of vehicles find driving and cycling safer and more relaxing. Making allowances for the other vehicle - expecting the wide swing before turning of an artic, sitting well back to allow a bus to cross the centreline when entering from a side street, slowing down to let a heavy low acceleration truck enter a junction even if you could claim 'right of way', making intentions clear to drivers who have restricted visibility.
Drivers of large unwieldy vehicles seldom fail to acknowledge little courtesies even from very small pedal powered vehicles IME.

100% on the button. When out on a simple pleasure ride I'll often wave trucks etc past and almost never fail to get a wave of thanks in return [the twisty country roads round here can be tricky to pass on]. I'm no saint, it just seems to make life a bit less stressfull for both of us.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Got a big thank you wave today by a truck driver, waved back
The truck was very long, about the length of 2 buses. He wanted to turn right over 2 lanes. I stopped well behind him in view of his right mirror. That caused the traffic behind me to stop as well, he could finally turn.
I think cars just assumed he had stopped in the left lane: his indicators were quite small for such a big vehicle.

 

[Night Train]

[QUOTE 1916392, member: 45"]Boy, you two know how to live. You're going to have to stop posting romantic slush like this, they'll wonder why I'm crying at work.[/quote]
Well, we usually watch something like Pickfords Power, 50's Road Hauling, or Scammell Recovery. We just thought we'd watch something 'instructional' for a change.

 

[sunnyjim]

Got a big thank you wave today by a truck driver, waved back
The truck was very long, about the length of 2 buses. He wanted to turn right over 2 lanes. I stopped well behind him in view of his right mirror. That caused the traffic behind me to stop as well, he could finally turn.
I think cars just assumed he had stopped in the left lane: his indicators were quite small for such a big vehicle.

The fellowship of the road. Maybe it's a regular run & he needs a break to turn there every week. It could be the start of a beautiful friendship..

 

[lukesdad]

Courtesy costs nothing.

 

[sidevalve]

Courtesy costs nothing.

True, but it seems to be getting thinner on the ground these days.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

The fellowship of the road. Maybe it's a regular run & he needs a break to turn there every week. It could be the start of a beautiful friendship..

I clicked "like" because the romantic notion set off all sort of fictional scenarios: he's from deepest Urburzurky, 3 wives, 24 children, 2 donkeys, 6 sheep, eats ladies cyclists for elevenses, sells their bikes at the Barrows market before returning home with his cargo of kidnapped cats to be made into stew by his wives ... at every right turn, he waves .... waits to see who waves back ... waves, waits, his belly rumbles ...

 

[Arch]

[QUOTE 1916392, member: 45"]Boy, you two know how to live. You're going to have to stop posting romantic slush like this, they'll wonder why I'm crying at work.[/quote]



If NT wasn't laid up with a bad leg, we'd probably have been doing something properly romantic, like plasterboarding, or breaking up concrete....

 

[Deleted member 20519]

100% on the button. When out on a simple pleasure ride I'll often wave trucks etc past and almost never fail to get a wave of thanks in return [the twisty country roads round here can be tricky to pass on]. I'm no saint, it just seems to make life a bit less stressfull for both of us.

I've given up waving people past, I just keep my head down and cycle. The last time I waved a truck past, he honked and stuck his finger up at me.