Better design of HGVs is key to improving safety for cyclists

[classic33]

I do put my safety first, but I accept that sometimes there are limits to what I can do and if I stop and wait every time a larger vehicle is near, the journey will take much longer and that added journey time in itself will expose me to more danger.

What you're saying then is that lorries shouldn't slow your journey down. You're the only one saying you'd add time by having to stop, for every large vehicle. You can't be slowed down, because your journey is more important. Where's that been heard before?

There's an attachment to the previous post made. Tell me where, as far as you're concerned, I should be to make a right turn, from the road running across to the road running top to bottom? Lanes are marked & signed. Right hand lane covers both the 90° right-hander and the second road that comes off at an angle.

All three roads see heavy HGV usage.

 

[mjr]

What you're saying then is that lorries shouldn't slow your journey down. You're the only one saying you'd add time by having to stop, for every large vehicle.

Does that mean that you think you can stop without adding time, or that you think this instruction

Basic & obvious rule for cyclists; if its bigger than you, for the sake of a few seconds, let it move on first.

wasn't posted?

You can't be slowed down, because your journey is more important.

Those are your inferences and not what I wrote or meant.

There's an attachment to the previous post made. Tell me where, as far as you're concerned, I should be to make a right turn, from the road running across to the road running top to bottom? Lanes are marked & signed. Right hand lane covers both the 90° right-hander and the second road that comes off at an angle.

All three roads see heavy HGV usage.

I think it depends on the traffic. If there are often suitable gaps in the traffic, I'd be using Barfield Road on the bottom left and avoiding that outdated motoring-centric junction layout. If not, I might turn right from the centre of the right lane, or I might do a two-step right from the left lane. I don't see anything on your attachment or https://mapstreetview.com/#vzitb_-12urz_2g_0_-kj43 which suggests that the right-hand lane is for anything other than the A644 Halifax Road - the traffic island between the turning prevents its use for A649 Wakefield Road because there's only one lane east out of the crossroads, which is the left approach lane.

 

[Milkfloat]

What you're saying then is that lorries shouldn't slow your journey down. You're the only one saying you'd add time by having to stop, for every large vehicle. You can't be slowed down, because your journey is more important. Where's that been heard before?

So are you saying we should not follow the rules of the road? To be honest I think that pulling to the side of the road a doffing our cap is more dangerous than following the rules and claiming our right to be on the road. Not to mention encouraging far more anti social behaviour. "Might is right", is actually wrong.

 

[dutchguylivingintheuk]

The whole blind corner thing is strange, in terms of there are so many techniques to prevent that blind sport altogether that it is ridiculous that is still exist.(for example a camera system like Brigade Backeye 360 Select )
However i personally always choose safety over being at my destination a few seconds earlier(by hoping to pass a blind sport before the truck needs to turn for example)

 

[Ming the Merciless]

It would help if HGV drivers used their indicators. Are lorries secretly BMWs under the hood?

 

[classic33]

Does that mean that you think you can stop without adding time, or that you think this instruction

wasn't posted?


Those are your inferences and not what I wrote or meant.


I think it depends on the traffic. If there are often suitable gaps in the traffic, I'd be using Barfield Road on the bottom left and avoiding that outdated motoring-centric junction layout. If not, I might turn right from the centre of the right lane, or I might do a two-step right from the left lane. I don't see anything on your attachment or https://mapstreetview.com/#vzitb_-12urz_2g_0_-kj43 which suggests that the right-hand lane is for anything other than the A644 Halifax Road - the traffic island between the turning prevents its use for A649 Wakefield Road because there's only one lane east out of the crossroads, which is the left approach lane.

You're willing to cross three lanes of traffic to get to a road that has restricted access, via another road. Which if followed brings you out needing to cross two lanes of traffic.

Traffic is often nose to tail in all three lanes. HGV's amongst them. On all three roads.

 

[Slick]

It would help if HGV drivers used their indicators. Are lorries secretly BMWs under the hood?

Seems most car drivers don't use indicators round here but do like to drive with their front fog lights on.

 

[mjr]

You're willing to cross three lanes of traffic to get to a road that has restricted access, via another road. Which if followed brings you out needing to cross two lanes of traffic.

Traffic is often nose to tail in all three lanes. HGV's amongst them. On all three roads.

Which is why I answered with a conditional, duck! I've no fear of crossing lanes if there are gaps. I cross two lanes of HGV- heavy A road almost every time I leave home. If it worries you, use one of the other approaches, or get some bikeability classes to get the skills.

 

[classic33]

Which is why I answered with a conditional, duck! I've no fear of crossing lanes if there are gaps. I cross two lanes of HGV- heavy A road almost every time I leave home.

In the example given you'd be crossing three. To gain acccess to a restricted access road, before having to cross two more when/if you get to the far end.

All HGV vision improvements are based, so far, on bus style doors to the left-hand side with a reliance on built in sensors to alert the drivers. Is it not safer to claim your place in the lane than rely on a sensor to alert the driver.

As for "might is right"

If I feel a particular junction may be dangerous, I'll ignore any cycle lane markings and claim the lane.

Not always appreciated, but if it improves my safety then it's tough luck for anything behind me. At one junction, in the early hours on a Sunday, I upset a skip lorry driver by not going through a red light(nothing else on the road, five way, junction of two "A" roads and unsighted to the left). Ignored the repeated use of the horn, leaving him to go round me on red.


There's a well known haulage company, red lorries, who's attitudes to other road users is well known within the industry. In recent years they've switched to the southern route, having upset more than a few up here. I see one of theirs, I'm wary.

 

[Brandane]

It would help if HGV drivers used their indicators. Are lorries secretly BMWs under the hood?

HGV drivers on the whole, are about the only group of road users who DO use their indicators properly IME.. There will be the odd exception to the rule, of course.

 

[Slick]

[QUOTE 5456337, member: 9609"]about a third of drivers round here use their fogs at night - i'm wondering if it is a cataract problem, may be there licences could be suspended until they have had an assessment from an optician.[/QUOTE]
I would say more round here since the morning's got dark. I think you may be right about the eye sight as well as I have heard a few horror stories from the guys at work with one even telling me how he didn't even bother shutting his eyes anymore to go round a particular long sweeping bend ad he couldn't see anything before he got his cataracts done.

They would then normally go on to pontificate about how dangerous cycling to work was.

 

[Smudge]

HGV drivers on the whole, are about the only group of road users who DO use their indicators properly IME.. There will be the odd exception to the rule, of course.

Of course they do..... HGV drivers, because of the size of their vehicle, have to take positions of the road before maneuvers that other road users rarely understand. So truckers are far more likely to indicate.
Still doesn't stop other road users trying to drive down the side of the direction the truck is indicating tho..... including cyclists. Us truck drivers have seen it many, many times over.

 

[Markymark]

[QUOTE 5456530, member: 9609"]think they are going to turn them into greenhouses, no amount of air conditioning will keep them cool during hot summers, drivers will be passing out with the heat[/QUOTE]
UV film on the glass?

 

[Mugshot]

Always nice to have something fresh and new;
[QUOTE 5456530, member: 9609"]think they are going to turn them into greenhouses, no amount of air conditioning will keep them cool during hot summers, drivers will be passing out with the heat[/QUOTE]
Let's see where we were;

This thread gets an airing every now and again and each time the truckers/ex-truckers here will tell us why it's impossible to put an extra person in a cab when the vehicle is within an urban environment, why they can't change the design of a vehicle, why cameras wont work, why mirrors don't work, why it's not the drivers fault, why it is the cyclists fault, why they can't have hubs outside city limits and use smaller delivery vehicles

And now we can add, "We can't do it because the drivers will get too warm."
Actually that does sound horrific, I find it difficult to imagine a sweaty lorry driver!

 

[Mugshot]

[QUOTE 5456530, member: 9609"]think they are going to turn them into greenhouses, no amount of air conditioning will keep them cool during hot summers, drivers will be passing out with the heat[/QUOTE]
Air con is bad the environment anyway, they can open one of their nice big windows.