Warning signs on lorry

[furball]

Following a lorry this afternoon and noticed two big yellow signs on the back. The one on the right hand side had a big black arrow pointing to the right and the words 'pass this side'. On the left side there was a big black arrow pointing to the left and the word 'suicide'.
I thought this was a more effective way of getting a serious message across than a lot of the more official signs.

 

[gbb]

A funny (or not so funny) thing occured to me a few years ago when my son had his scooter. He's never driven a car btw. He's an ok person, not thick, but as we were sitting in my car one day behind a lorry he saw some similar signage on it and asked me why that was there.
I explained a lorry driver in particular cant see you a lot of the time and it's a monumental risk to squeeze up the Inside, especially if it's at a left turn.

He looked shocked...I never knew, it just never even occured to me...he said. He went on to explain how hed nearly got caught out doing exactly that.

Hed never driven, why would he know ?

 

[Globalti]

The other one you sometimes see is:

Overtakers >>>>>>>

<<<<<<<< Undertakers

 

[Bianchi boy]

I once heard that cyclists were putting additional stickers saying " Because i can`t drive" under the signs on the back of vans and lorries , where their signage said " Beware of passing this vehicle on the left hand side", .

 

[Slick]

I'm sure that most of us has noticed those signs at one time or another, but in all honesty they have always annoyed me slightly as I've always thought it looked like a bit of a cop out for drivers and company owners not to take responsibility for their acts or omissions. I don't think for a single second that we should be able to filter up the side of a left turning truck but I got a minor when sitting my LGV test when pulling away in a straight line at a junction when a cyclist was nearby. The guy reckoned it was a bigger error when I told him that I saw the cyclist and pulled away anyway. I do think there is much more that can be done to protect cyclists from those trucks and I would much prefer to see more of them utilised in trucks operating in a buy city centre for example, or even completely redesigning some of the worst junctions. There was a young female killed round here recently and I can't help but think that it could have so easily been avoided.

 

[Slick]

I once heard that cyclists were putting additional stickers saying " Because i can`t drive" under the signs on the back of vans and lorries , where their signage said " Beware of passing this vehicle on the left hand side", .

Brilliant. I love that.

 

[Globalti]

Stupid ignorant thing to say about truck drivers. Those cyclists need to try driving a truck, then they'd understand.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

I learnt as a school kid not to go down the inside of a lorry.

Dual carriageway and the lorry is straddling the lanes. Left lane for left, right lane for straight on. I go down the inside and he starts turning left. Luckily for me I bounced off his side, stayed up right and jumped onto the path out of the way

 

[mjr]

I agree with @Slick. Such signs are a disgusting bottom covering cop out and contradict the Highway Code and the law. Use of anything more than "be cautious passing on the left when left indicator flashes" should be subject to a fine.

And most of the problems I've had being on the left side of large vehicles is when they overtake me on the approach to a junction, including a couple of coaches where I'd tried to take the lane and they just used the oncoming lane too! I strongly suspect a lot of the "undertaking" accusations are because squished riders don't talk.

 

[classic33]

It's a sad sign of the times, when other road users in/on vehicles need reminding not to pass up the inside of a longer, heavier vehicle.

 

[Profpointy]

Stupid ignorant thing to say about truck drivers. Those cyclists need to try driving a truck, then they'd understand.

Whilst that's all very well I've had two very near misses where trucks have partly overtaken me then pulled in whilst beside me. I was about 12 the first time on a raleigh shopper so not exactly zooming along but a 38 ton artic decided to pull in and stop beside me and I managed to jump onto the pavement to avoid getting crushed. In my 50s a jewson lorry towing a digger forgot about his trailer - kinell that one was close

 

[Moodyman]

I think it's a bit disingenuous blaming truck companies for those signs. If I recall, this came about during Boris' tenure due to the relatively high number of fatalities involving left turning trucks.

The signs were brought in due to the pressure from cycling groups to raise awareness and to encourage drivers to be more cautious.

 

[snorri]

We need fewer LGVs in built up areas, particulary at times of high volumes of pedestrian and cycle traffic.

 

[classic33]

One of the earlier mentions of such stickers.
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/time-for-action.33466/

They've been mentioned a few times now.

 

[MichaelW2]

In my 50s a jewson lorry towing a digger forgot about his trailer - kinell that one was close

Trailers are the stuff of nightmares, esp when towed by transit vans. They are often wider than the vehicle. There is always the temptation to tuck into the curb when being overtaken and pull out to the primary position after the vehicle has passed. Don't do this with a towed trailer overtake.