HGV Safety awareness

[Andypenson]

I am a Product Design Student at Nottingham Trent University and currently trying to design a product that will help reduce HGV cyclist accidents by making the drivers more aware of the cyclists around them. It would be a great help if anyone could fill out the survey below to increase my research.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/22FDJR5

Thank you to anyone that fills it out its only 4 questions will take 10 seconds and hopefully it'll help solve a problem on the roads.

 

[Drago]

You need to design a device that makes employers not hire chumps on the minimum wage or pay tipper truck drivers by the load. With some professional drivers not flying round like Ben Hur to earn a living wage then thing might improve.

 

[Spinney]

I've answered in the negative.
My 'issues' with HGVs is them overtaking too close, or starting to pull in too soon after overtaking me.
In neither of these cases would a chip/tracker make any difference.

The main issues with HGVs, as I understand it, are in cities. My riding is mostly rural.
And for HGVs in cities, @Drago has the idea!

 

[Andypenson]

This basic idea is alert the driver of a cyclist in its area meaning they should check take precautions knowing a cyclist is around them. Hopefully reducing the amount of idiotic driving that takes place.

 

[Brandane]

I've done the survey, although I am not sure of its usefulness. Is it too much to ask that HGV drivers make themselves aware of cyclists by using their eyes, and mirrors; and that cyclists contribute to their own safety by giving HGV's enough space? Presumably for this chip idea to work, there is going to have to be a warning system of some sort in the cab, so yet another distraction. In a place like London, the warning is going to be sounding all the time, so will either get ignored or somehow disabled.

 

[Andypenson]

The issues that we have come up with in our research so far is that inorder for a driver to do a full check of mirrors it takes them 5-6 seconds due to the distance apart and the number that they have. This means that once the driver has checked all the mirrors and sets off a cyclist could have come up along side in those 6 seconds. This chip/App would supply a simple notification that would warn the driver that they may have to check again. Its merely a suggestion at the moment any feed back is welcome or any proposals are also helpful.

 

[winjim]

So the absence of an alarm means there's no cyclist nearby...





...doesn't it?

 

[Andypenson]

not necessarily it will just mean that wen the alarm or sign does go off the driver will be even more aware of a cyclist.

 

[Spinney]

I'm afraid that in the real world, a (hopefully small) minority of drivers will end up with the mindset 'no alarm = no cyclist' and so not bother to look. So any cyclist without the chip will be worse off than before.

I'd like to think I'm wrong, but the attitudes you see (in the newspapers, comments on on-line articles about cyclists and drivers) do give the impression that there are a number of drivers out there who are not concerned about the safety of others at all. And unless there is a legal requirement to fit the receiver, only some responsible firms will fit them - and they're generally not the ones whose drivers cause the most trouble.

 

[Andypenson]

Yer i get what you mean this is the largest problem. With this project we are currently working with the MET police and a large construction company based in London so hopefully with a proper solution with these to connections the idea can be spread quickly. We are currently working in improved sensors that don't require tags methods to increase visibility to the driver.
These things, like you said, can only solve part of the problem some drivers will just ignore these systems but making them as simple and obvious as possible may help to encourage them too.

 

[Sea of vapours]

I think the point that the alarm would go off continuously in busy, urban areas is a show-stopper if the alarm merely indicated 'cyclist nearby'. An alternative, however, would be to only activate the alarm when the vehicle is stationary and a cyclist is nearby (this may be your idea, given that you speak of 'checked all the mirrors .... and sets off....'). Doing that actually would provide additional information in a specific circumstance where a cyclist could have come close whilst the vehicle is stationary. The downside of that is that I suspect the type of cyclist who would fit a chip is also the type of cyclist who would not, for example, position themselves alongside a stationary lorry at a junction.

 

[Andypenson]

My current idea is only to activate this system wen the driver is travelling at 6mph or slower therefore itll work wen a driver has to turn or stop at lights ect. Also we are looking into using a simple visual display rather than an alarm as these are often ignored or disabled

 

[gavintc]

The proximity sensors on my car do not need the 'thing' that it senses to be enabled with any emitter. It also works in slow traffic and I get a beep when something gets close. Problem solved.

I agree with other posters; no alarm = no problem. Classic victim blaming. Along with helmets, hi viz this will be an easy excuse for the victim to take the responsibility away from the driver.

 

[Andypenson]

The problem with those systems they can be delayed or wont be precise especially on a larger lorry scale by adding a chip or App this gives a precise location quickly. It will also help to differentiate cyclists from overall traffic in busy areas

What solutions can you provide to this problem we are still in an early stage of idea generation any ideas are welcome.

 

[Markymark]

The problem with those systems they can be delayed or wont be precise especially on a larger lorry scale by adding a chip or App this gives a precise location quickly. It will also help to differentiate cyclists from overall traffic in busy areas

What solutions can you provide to this problem we are still in an early stage of idea generation any ideas are welcome.

A great solution.

Make HGV drivers have an instant ban if caught fiddling the tachometer, talking on the mobile, speeding, caught driving dangerously or carelessly.