HGV Safety awareness

[glenn forger]

then wat solution can you think of?

Presumed Liability, more trafpol, more cameras, proper enforcement of speed limits and mobile phone use, more checks on drivers so that career criminals can't stroll into a haulage firm's office and say "I left my licence at home" and be given the keys to a 20 ton lorry.

 

[Spinney]

He's a Product Design Student - so he's after an idea of something that can be made.

So from this forum, suggestions for that are, apparently, 'none' - for all the valid reasons given above.

This sounds a bit negative, Andy, but we get an awful lot of design students posting questionnaires on here, for all sorts of percieved safety issues, when the main danger to cyclists is drivers who don't give a toss about the safety of other road users - and no amount of gadgetry will solve that problem.

 

[glenn forger]

I fear we have reached the limits of the contribution to road safety machines that go "Beep" can offer.

 

[summerdays]

I fear we have reached the limits of the contribution to road safety machines that go "Beep" can offer.

They could go a step further and switch off the engine

 

[_aD]

This sounds a bit negative, Andy, but we get an awful lot of design students posting questionnaires on here, for all sorts of percieved safety issues, when the main danger to cyclists is drivers who don't give a toss about the safety of other road users - and no amount of gadgetry will solve that problem.

Andy if you want a really good example of this, look up Volvo's life paint. If anyone can tell that there's a fundamental problem with road safety then the creation of a "life paint" is the pinnacle of all examples. We're tired of being made to think we should protect ourselves. You aren't trying to say that we should protect ourselves - I know that - but part of the problem is the idea that cyclists have to solve this problem. I wish we could help you help us by feeding back in a positive way.

 

[Spinney]

Actually a gadget that might do some good, but would never be fitted because it is too open to abuse, is a set of large buttons or even some kind of strip all around a lorry that anyone could touch that would stop the engine and apply the brakes instantly.

 

[growingvegetables]

Actually a gadget that might do some good, but would never be fitted because it is too open to abuse, is a set of large buttons or even some kind of strip all around a lorry that anyone could touch that would stop the engine and apply the brakes instantly.

Add Audis and BMWs?

 

[slowmotion]

Cyclists need HGV drivers with a brain fully engaged and a pair of ever-active eyes. Technology is never going to compensate for shortfalls in either department.
Good luck anyway.

 

[AlanW]

Cyclists need HGV drivers with a brain fully engaged and a pair of ever-active eyes.

At the risk of getting involved and starting a pointless debate about who is at fault, but speaking as a HGV driver with over 30 years experience, plus being a cyclist that rides circ 15k miles per year I feel well qualified to pass comment from both sides of the fence.

Yes HGV drivers should be more careful, but its so easy blame the HGV driver and not the cyclist merely because sadly the cyclist may have died. In my experience I can understand the line that a HGV will take navigating a junction for example and I also understand where the blind spots are when looking down the near side from the drivers seat. As such I will stop and wait and will certainly NEVER undertake a HGV, only to be overtaken or even undertaken by another cyclist who couldn't see the danger in what they were doing.

 

[jefmcg]

I voted no, because I never cycle into the blind spot of a lorry. The times a HGV has threatened my life are when they have overtaken me and immediately moved into the space I would have been been occupying if I hadn't taken evasive action. So no amount of systems to alert them to my presence would help.

Also, a phone app? So I am only protected if I have my phone with me, it has power, I remembered to start the app, my phone o/s hasn't decided to kill the app (they do this a lot, if they need to free up memory) etc. That's assuming I am not a tourist or visitor from overseas that is aware the app is available. Similarly the same list applies to the driver, plus he has to remember to check the screen. Your system could be technically perfect and never save a single life.

But you are looking at the wrong problem. It's not HGVs killing cyclists, it's HGVs killing people. The device should protect pedestrians, too. If it doesn't, it could mean more fatalities as if your device works, some drivers will use it to do less looking, and I don't think you can hope to install trackers on every person in London.

Source: http://content.tfl.gov.uk/pedestrian-fatalities-in-london.pdf

 

[slowmotion]

At the risk of getting involved and starting a pointless debate about who is at fault, but speaking as a HGV driver with over 30 years experience, plus being a cyclist that rides circ 15k miles per year I feel well qualified to pass comment from both sides of the fence.

Yes HGV drivers should be more careful, but its so easy blame the HGV driver and not the cyclist merely because sadly the cyclist may have died. In my experience I can understand the line that a HGV will take navigating a junction for example and I also understand where the blind spots are when looking down the near side from the drivers seat. As such I will stop and wait and will certainly NEVER undertake a HGV, only to be overtaken or even undertaken by another cyclist who couldn't see the danger in what they were doing.

I apologise. I didn't mean to imply that HGV drivers were always to blame or that cyclists were blameless, rather that it is a bit reckless to rely too heavily on technology to improve matters, especially if the technology itself could be an added distraction. That's just my personal view.

 

[AlanW]

I apologise. I didn't mean to imply that HGV drivers were always to blame or that cyclists were blameless, rather that it is a bit reckless to rely too heavily on technology to improve matters, especially if the technology itself could be an added distraction. That's just my personal view.

Certainly no need to apologise, but thank you anyway.

I also agree that technology is going to far and as such is taking the skill away from basic driving functions. Take reversing bleepers for example, most new cars will have them. Watch most drivers while they are reversing, and see how many are 100% reliant on the "bleeper" sounding to warn of pending danger, most will not even turn there heads before they start.

Auto "on" headlights, great when its gets dark but will not switch on in foggy conditions. What happened to common sense??