HGV/Cyclist visibility

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summerdays

summerdays

Cycling in the sun
Location
Bristol
Trevor_P said:
Only half the point was valid. Yes there are bad HGV drivers out there. However that doesn't mean the OP's advice should be disregarded or is a red herring. If it were me with the bad HGV driver next to me, I'd just get out of the way until he's gone, for my own safety. It's annoying as hell, but there's little that can be done at the moment to weed out the bad ones.

If you've sat in the drivers seat, then you must have benefited from the experience.
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I have benefited and I've posted the photos and shown them to others. My worst HGV experience wasn't a bad driver, just didn't see me as he told me afterwards (but he could have killed me if I hadn't taken evasive action). The bad ones are the ones who are distracted by other things (mobiles etc) or who do see you but don't give you space, any of those can kill though.
 
Trevor_P

Trevor_P

Senior Member
Location
Hawkinge Kent
summerdays said:
I have benefited and I've posted the photos and shown them to others. My worst HGV experience wasn't a bad driver, just didn't see me as he told me afterwards (but he could have killed me if I hadn't taken evasive action). The bad ones are the ones who are distracted by other things (mobiles etc) or who do see you but don't give you space, any of those can kill though.
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Indeed.
 
Trevor_P

Trevor_P

Senior Member
Location
Hawkinge Kent
Cunobelin said:
There is a real danger that putting a sticker on the back of your truck and placing ALL the responsibility on cyclists is being seen as a "solution"

It isn't
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It's not a solution at all, but if you've ever driven a wagon and seen the number of pedestrians, cyclists and car drivers who potentially put themselves at risk, its understandable. There is currently no necessity for pedestrians, cyclists or car drivers to sit in an HGV and see things from the other side. Daily, many of these road users place themselves in vulnerable positions without realising it. Totally unaware. Most of the time Wagon drivers make allowances for this. But they are only human. They make mistakes. Training is improving. Monitoring is improving. Slowly. but in the mean time, anything that helps with safety for the vulnerable has to be a good thing, even if it has some negative aspects.
 
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PK99

Legendary Member
Location
SW19
Cunobelin said:
My problem has always been the HGV pulling into an inappropriate position beside me!
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I see many cyclists stopping first at red lights hard against the kerb - that is a very stupid thing to do.

I see many cyclists riding up the inside of HGV's/coaches etc when stopped at lights - that is a very stupid thing to do.

I see many cyclists positioning themselves under the front of HGV's invisible to the driver

A recent video by Gaz illustrates the rank stupidity of many cyclists:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIATwvpUPck
 
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OP
OP
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PK99

Legendary Member
Location
SW19
Cunobelin said:
Why?

Surely the sensible thing is for the HGV driver to pull in behind he cyclist.. so very, very simple.

If the driver fails to do so then calling the cyclist "stupid" and blaming them for a predicament that is not their fault is ordering on the ridiculous.
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It is a stupid thing to do quite independently of the HGV issue - be wise follow the clear and explicit advice of cyclecraft: ride in primary on the approach to the lights in the lane you intend to use.

I do find your "cyclists can do no wrong" attitude both appalling and profoundly misguided.
 
OP
OP
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PK99

Legendary Member
Location
SW19
[QUOTE 3143230, member: 30090"]Nice try but the above is BS of the BS kind.

I would have thought with the number of cyclists in the vid the driver should have twigged and drove accordingly - it aint hard.[/QUOTE]

Given a choice between your opinion and that of Gaz, in that and many other videos, I'll take Gaz's wise words as my guide.
 
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ufkacbln

Guest
PK99 said:
It is a stupid thing to do quite independently of the HGV issue - be wise follow the clear and explicit advice of cyclecraft: ride in primary on the approach to the lights in the lane you intend to use.

I do find your "cyclists can do no wrong" attitude both appalling and profoundly misguided.
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That makes me smile even if it is totally wrong


The assumption that the average cyclist has even heard of, never mind having read "Cyclecraft" is the real naivety of this issue

The average person on the road this morning will be a person who has had no training, has not been told how to take the "primary", and probably takes the position that they feel is correct from their motoring experience ... close to the kerb. Dismissing them as "Stupid" and blaming them for any accident because they have not read a particular book is not supportive, constructive or helpful

That is the reality - and I can only apologise if you feel that suggesting that we should be recognising this is an appalling attitude

All road users including the HGV drivers should take this into account and if this is appalling and misguided then I have absolutely no problem with being labelled as such.
 
Trevor_P

Trevor_P

Senior Member
Location
Hawkinge Kent
[QUOTE 3143222, member: 30090"]The rest of the post was irrevelent, with all due respect.[/QUOTE]
What is irrelevant about giving road users the opportunity to improve their safety on the roads?
 
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Dan B

Disengaged member
Angry Blonde said:
there not hard to drive safely, but the are loads of blind spots, lower down where cyclists and pedestrians seem to feel the need to sneek past, i mean personally i would stay well away from 20 plus tonne of moving metal, just a thought, why do cyclists feel the need they have to get in front of wagons, why not just wait one minute for it to pull away, like i do....... you speed off close to the wagon, then the wagon catches back up and has to overtake, which gives us cyclists twice the danger.....
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The wagon "has to overtake" whereas the cyclist merely "seems to feel the need to sneak past". Interesting choice of words there
 
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ufkacbln

Guest
Trikeman said:
That's why you should stop at lights in primary, so that can't happen.
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Oh yes it can.......

Last week

Cycle path, and two lanes

Take primary in the left turn / straight ahead lane.

HGV places itself in the outside lane, signals left and then places the cab ahead of the cycle lane and then turns across my path

Apart from heavy range artillery there is little else that can be done
 
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