Blind Spot Lenses

[Cab]

Please forgive me if this has been posted already, if it has I've missed it.

Interesting idea; what do you guys make of it?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7290900.stm

 

[HLaB]

I'd rather not be there to find out if the driver has one or not but its an interesting idea.

 

[andygates]

Excellent idea. Good one, TfL.

 

[MartinC]

Unfortunately these will stop the window being wound down so aren't likely to catch on.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I wouldn't like to have to look between the blind spot lens and the rearview mirror to see what was coming from the left hand side, if you see what I mean. All these will do is take away one blind spot at the expense of creating another. Oh, hang on, they'll also make it more likely that cyclists will ride up the inside of trucks, which is a very dangerous place to be.
I've been driving artics for ten years now and never yet failed to see a cyclist who is executing this rather dodgy manoevre. If I'd had one of these lenses there's a chance I'd have just glanced at it before setting off (rather than constantly keeping an eye on my side mirrors), thereby missing anyone who was halfway down the side of my trailer. These things look like a good idea in principle but in practice I think they engender a false sense of security and cause more problems than they solve.

 

[Arch]

Nice idea, but it still relies on a driver looking properly, like RT says, unless the cyclist is wearing very bright clothes etc, enough to be eyecatching.

Giving them out free is posibly good though, because even if the lens isn't that useful, it might just remind a few people. So a leaflet might be as good, if you get folk to read it. Perhaps a leaflet attached to some other free gift, one that won't lead to a false sense of security?

 

[Cab]

I just haven't decided about whether they're a good idea. In principle, making the blind spot easier to see is an excellent idea, but that only helps if the driver looks. Most often not seeing the cyclist is a result of not having looked, which makes me concerned that the presence of such a nifty optical toy might not address the point.

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

I've been driving artics for ten years now and never yet failed to see a cyclist who is executing this rather dodgy manoevre.

How would you know if you failed to spot them?

I agree though, a nice idea in principle (to non truck drivers), but it may encourage bad riding due to cyclists thinking they can always be seen.

 

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

Whatever happened to the small window at the bottom of the passenger door on trucks? Seems to me that would sort a lot of trouble, and still let the window down, and a good view of the mirrors.

 

[Night Train]

As another who has driven trucks, cars, motorbikes and a great many other motor vehicles, there are a lot of potential blind spots that need checking. It is impossible to be checking everyone of them all of the time and still look ahead to make progress. At some point a driver has to look at the road ahead and move off as safely as possible and at that time everything else on the road also moves and changes position.

I think the lens is useful but only as useful as all the other aids the driver already has to use.

When I cycle I won't pass on the nearside of a large vehicle if I don't know, or can't risk, what it may do next. If it wants to pass me I do everything I can to look for escape routes or slow to let it pass quickly or get ready to hop up the kerb if I need to. There are so many blind spots that mirrors, lenses and door bottom windows can't help with especially with artics as they get ready to corner. I aim to avoid being in a blind spot whenever I can but equally I also need to make progress.
It just has to be defensive driving/cycling all the time. Nobody sees everything all of the time even with the best will in the world.

 

[Twenty Inch]

A technical solution to a management problem. Should be putting their efforts into encouraging people to share the road and to see each other as people.