Possible error killed cyclist

[addictfreak]

I do happen to know a little more about this accident, the driver imho is completely innocent.

His lorry was waiting to enter the RB, giving way to traffic from his right.

Cyclist is approaching from his nearside on a cycle path at right angles to then lorry and behind the drivers line of sight. Cyclist chooses to go round the front of the lorry (to continue on cycle path at other side). As he does so the lorry moves on to the RB. I would say the driver probably had no chance of seeing the cyclist at all. A tragic accident.

There was a lot of suggestion in the local press of the road layout being to blame. Indeed the cycle path has been 'improved', altough to me it looks as though it has just been made wider and the layout has not changed at all (imo)

 

[Muddyfox]

[QUOTE 1674505, member: 9609"]
AFAIK the relevant lorry in this thread was a 24ton ridged tipper so not really any blind spots.[/quote]

For an ex truck driver you seem to know very little about it !

A rigid will have exactly the same blindspots around the cab as an artic.. the driver in the photo will not see anything inside the orange taped area

 

[xpc316e]

It seems to be odd to expect truck drivers to have evolved in a totally different way to the rest of us. How can they be expected to look at many places at once, so that they may always be aware of people entering their blind spots?

 

[Red Light]

It seems to be odd to expect truck drivers to have evolved in a totally different way to the rest of us. How can they be expected to look at many places at once, so that they may always be aware of people entering their blind spots?

The problem as the picture illustrates is not that truck drivers have evolved to be different but that trucks have evolved to have such massive blind spots around them. They really shouldn't be allowed on the roads without the ability to see into those blind spots given the major problem those blind spots create. With modern day cameras, mirrors and fresnel lenses there is really no excuse for those blind spots to exist. A fresnel lens low down on the windscreen would make it very easy to see what was in the yellow box as would a camera and a proximity sensor of the type used for reversing in cars would also tell you if something was there.

 

[the snail]

It seems to be odd to expect truck drivers to have evolved in a totally different way to the rest of us. How can they be expected to look at many places at once, so that they may always be aware of people entering their blind spots?

Many places at once? They need to be able to see to each side and in front of the vehicle. If they can't then there is something very wrong with the design of these vehicles.

 

[yello]

If they can't then there is something very wrong with the design of these vehicles.

Yes, there is something wrong with the design; it well serves cyclists and drivers alike to be aware of this design limitation. Even when/if this design fault is gone, it'd still pay to be aware. Just because someone has mirrors, it doesn't mean they'll use them.

 

[Norm]

They need to be able to see to each side and in front of the vehicle.

Constantly and concurrently?

 

[growingvegetables]

Yes, there is something wrong with the design; it well serves cyclists and drivers alike to be aware of this design limitation.

+1

 

[the snail]

Constantly and concurrently?

No they just need to be able to see! The road safety posters suggest that the drivers can't see anything at all.

 

[Norm]

No they just need to be able to see! The road safety posters suggest that the drivers can't see anything at all.

Not quite what you said, though, which was to question 'many places at once'.

Adding more and more mirrors so the driver could, if they were looking in the right one, see the cyclist who had put themselves in danger can be counter-productive as it also requires them to check more and more mirrors which may be empty.

Far better, IMO, for the cyclist not to put themselves in danger in the first place.

 

[the snail]

Far better, IMO, for the cyclist not to put themselves in danger in the first place.

Quite right, I don't go anywhere near HGVs if I can help it. In fact I don't filter at lights etc generally.