Lorry's view from the cab of a bike

[summerdays]

Today I had the opportunity to go up into the cab of a lorry and see if from their side... here are some of the photo's I took - though I accidently left the camera on close up mode.

View from the cab looking out forward:

From outside the lorry - what I was looking for - that area marked out with the orange tape:

And the view from the mirrors:

With that mirror near the front being new.

It was an interesting experience - the vehicle had an audiable warning when the left indicator was switched on - which might become very irritating for the driver possibly over time I imagine, and a sensor that could detect cyclists/pedestrians down the side of the lorry.

 

[dodgy]

3rd picture the driver of the truck by any chance?

 

[buggi]

interesting, but would have been more realistic if someone was actually on the bike, as opposed to the bike lying on the ground.

but i can see your point.

 

[ufkacbln]

3rd picture the driver of the truck by any chance?

No...

Reckon the driver is the one in the last picture with the black outfit and heels!

 

[ufkacbln]

It is interesting, but not realistic.

The driver should be looking forward and should seethe bikes in this orange box as he approaches them. Otherwise the views are as expected - I you can't see me in the mirror - I can't see you.

 

[Molecule Man]

Yes, but, I do see a lot of cyclists filter past lorries at traffic lights and place themselves right in front of the cab.

 

[HJ]

No...

Reckon the driver is the one in the last picture with the black outfit and heels!

Na the driver was sheltering under the sun brolly at the back...

 

[grhm]

It's very interesting to see how small and insignificant the bike down the left appear in the mirrors.

I can see how a driver at a busy junction with loads of other things going on might overlook a bike that had filtered up the left.

 

[Bromptonaut]

Quite frightening that the driver cannot see the "man down" directly in front. The other views just re-inforce my preference for keeping well clear unless there is a copper bottomed guarantee it won't move.

 

[fossyant]

Doesn't surprise me..... stay clear, they are big, high up etc.... do not filter - unless you really know they can't and won't move, and you have room to get out of the way..... it's hard enough for them to see cars............

 

[summerdays]

The driver was standing by the door explaining it all to me but the lady was also part of the demostration team. The bike that is proped up against the side (looking insignificant) along way back was mine. I think the one in front was someone else's bike who was in the cab before me - it was gone by the time I was in there.

I've spent the last two days since the demo looking to see how many lorries have this fitted - and one lorry driver saw me looking and smiling and may have got the wrong impression that I was looking at him It was actually the same type of lorry - a Cemex lorry.

 

[MePower]

I can see how a driver at a busy junction with loads of other things going on might overlook a bike that had filtered up the left.

..........especialy if the driver is texting or on his laptop!

 

[Rhythm Thief]

..........especialy if the driver is texting or on his laptop!

Or lookig at an A-Z. I frequently do that at traffic lights. My reasoning is that looking at a map is a good deal safer than reversing out of a dead end onto a main road.

 

[JediGoat]

As mainly a motorbike commuter (I will fix my bicycle soon, honest) I always remember a very important example shown to me when I did my CBT.

They got me to sit on a motorbike looking forwards, with a guy in front walking towards me (about a metre or so out to my offside). When he passed me and moved out of my peripheral vision I had to shout "Stop!". He put down a cone. Then I had to glance in my offside mirror as he carried on walking past me and shout again when I saw him in the mirror (at which point he put down another cone).

Then I got off the bike and saw just how enormous the blind-spot was - easliy enough to hide a medium sized van. I have never forgotten it, and honestly think it would be a wake-up call to riders/drivers of any vehicle.

I really wish it was part of standard driver training.

 

[the reluctant cyclist]

There's a lot of things that should be part of driver training and I wish that you had to update your licence with periodic tests every few years. Even if it was just a written theory test!

Those photos from the inside of the lorry are really scarey to me. I never mess with lorries, vans or buses anyway but see people chancing it with lorries and the like on a weekly basis. I wonder why there are no government campaigns for things like this in the same way that they have the "think bike" ones for motorbikes?