R4 Woman's hour - Women cyclists killed by HGVs

[Arch]

I think the bit in bold couldn't hurt. I'd go further: I'd make everyone walk down the side of a 60mph B road with a narrow (or no) footpath for a couple of miles just so they could experience how much fun it isn't when a ton-and-a-bit of metal goes past at just over 60.

I'm not saying that people shouldn't go that fast on B roads: I certainly do*. But I am nice to people walking / cycling / riding their horse along said roads .. 'cos I know how bloody terrifying it can be.

* in the car, not on the bike.

I'd suggest compulsory bikeability training, followed by a compulsory session on a motorbike, then driving lessons, including a skid pan, and compulsory sessions in a long vehicle (on a race track/test track if necessary) I also like the idea of being made to walk along a busy road. And I'd have a minimum amount of experience before you can take the test, like flying hours.

There was a thing in Top Gear about why so many top rally drivers are Finns, and they said it takes 3 years to pass your test over there, and it includes skid pans and all that. Over here, you take as few lessons as you can get away with, and that's it...

With regard to the left hooking - I think we all agree there are some cases where a cyclist probably couldn't do a thing. In those cases, we need seriously hard punishment and re-education of the driver. No one is saying that all cyclists are to blame for accidents happening to them. But I think we all agree that there are some cyclists who put themselves in danger. If we can prevent even one of those dying, it's a start. Since we are cyclists, it's probably cyclists we'll find it easiest to talk to. Although those of us who also drive big vehicles also have a 'way in' to that end of the issue.

 

[goo_mason]

I got to thinking about the channel. 22 miles of water. If there was a bridge, you could ride over it in an hour and half, comfortably... What a thought... What makes us so different? Never before have so many mucked up what so few fought for and all that...

There's probably a PhD in it (like I need another to not get done) - when did we start to depart so badly from the ideas of the continent. Was it the industrial revolution? Is it just a tendency for socialism to work better over there? Is it because we never were invaded and had to rebuild? (although we were bombed enough...) Was it Maggie, or Tony, or Pitt the Younger who started the rot?

Sod this. I'm off home for a plate of pasta and a can of Radler (shandy). There, the Germans even invented a drink just for cyclists!

I'm sure there's a Slovenian shandy called Radler (made by Union). Have they sold it across the border to the German brewers ?

 

[Arch]

I'm sure there's a Slovenian shandy called Radler (made by Union). Have they sold it across the border to the German brewers ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radler

I wonder if the beer is named after the shandy....

I find it a good drink for a hot day out riding - sweet, not very alcoholic, but still beery.

 

[handsome joe]

Lets not get fixated on cyclists riding on the inside of large vehicles. I've known of cyclists being taken out from behind. The driver is not aware of the cyclists. The height of the cab restricts the driver's view of anything that gets too close in front of the vehicle. Therefore drives as normal not realising there's a cyclists directly in front and knocking them down. This can happen in heavy traffic where there is a lot of distractions and movement.

There is only so much safety features you can create for these incidents. But you can't factor in human error or judgement. If there is a warning light or sensor what if it's ignored, faulty, badly maintained or not even installed. Maybe we need to admit bicycles and motor vehicles don't mix?

 

[CotterPin]

Well I spoke to the site manager today and wasn't impressed ... he hadn't heard of the extra mirrors and said it was up to the individual company as to what safety measures they had on their vehicles. I suppose the next step is to contact the actual company and maybe the council (as they are the owners of the site I think).

Just read this report:


One in five construction sites in the UK are failing health and safety inspections.

Following the most recent national inspection carried out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), 348 sites had ‘sufficiently serious' health and safety risks, warranting either stoppage of work or immediate improvements and a further 500 enforcement notices were issued.

Seems they are failing in ensuring safety onsite, let alone on the roads.

 

[HJ]

I have fortunately never witnessed such a horrible incident, and it is obviously foolish to cats blame in particular incidents without access to detailed information.

However, from general observation of their behaviour on the roads, tipper truck and skip lorry drivers seem to me to be among the most reckless and aggressive road users in London (not all of them of course, but a large proportion). They often drive far too fast for the conditions, act intimidatingly to other motorists as well as cyclists, and many of them are unidentifiable with no company markings and number plates obscured by dirt. They are the only vehicles I am positively scared of. I understand the drivers may be under a lot of pressure to make their pickup/delivery as quickly as possible, but that is a symptom of a wider problem.
Is there anyone here in that line of work who can comment on the level of regulation/scrutiny of these drivers compared to other commercial HGV drivers? Maybe it needs to be tightened up, in addition to fitting better mirros etc.

I suspect that this is because their paid per load, or at least get an extra bonus pay for extra loads. The operators are supposed to check the drivers tacos to ensure that their drivers are not breaking the law, but tippers and skips, tend to be run by cowboy operators as there is a lot of money to made from it...