Do lorries have a blind spot on the right side too?

[Hebe]

A quick search has just shown me that yes there are blind spots on the right as well as the left, but all the press seems to be about not passing on the left rather than how to pass safely on the right. Sorry, I can't change the title.

I tow my daughter to nursery, and the route is through an industrial estate which often has lorries parked along the roadside, sometimes 3 or 4 in a line (especially at lunch time when the burger van is serving). I'm familiar with all the warnings around passing lorries on the left, but how can I can be sure that any drivers waiting to pull out see me and my trailer going past on the right? I check for indicators, keep right over towards the centre of the road and pedal as fast as I can until well past. The trailer is hi-vis with a fluorescent flag and a 6ft ribbon streamer. What's the safest way to pass?

Generally I'm fine with moving lorries and have found drivers to be courteous, careful and considerate when they see the trailer. I'm just a bit worried about a lorry not seeing me when pulling out from the kerbside.
Thank you

 

[PK99]

A quick search has just shown me that yes there are blind spots on the right as well as the left, but all the press seems to be about not passing on the left rather than how to pass safely on the right. Sorry, I can't change the title.

I tow my daughter to nursery, and the route is through an industrial estate which often has lorries parked along the roadside, sometimes 3 or 4 in a line (especially at lunch time when the burger van is serving). I'm familiar with all the warnings around passing lorries on the left, but how can I can be sure that any drivers waiting to pull out see me and my trailer going past on the right? I check for indicators, keep right over towards the centre of the road and pedal as fast as I can until well past. The trailer is hi-vis with a fluorescent flag and a 6ft ribbon streamer. What's the safest way to pass?

Generally I'm fine with moving lorries and have found drivers to be courteous, careful and considerate when they see the trailer. I'm just a bit worried about a lorry not seeing me when pulling out from the kerbside.
Thank you

If you can see the driver in his mirror he can see you.

 

[Paul J]

I remember seeing on Top Gear or 5th Gear an article on lefthand drive lorries on our roads, they have a massive blind spot.

 

[Boris Bajic]

It sounds as if you are doing everything right. the above advice about seeing the driver is the Top Tip for me.

Every vehicle has blind spots and they're quite big when the driver's attention is elsewhere (sorry, that was a massive statement of the obvious).

If there's a burger van, be doubly tuned in for pedestrians emerging from between artics (I see you are already well out near the centre line).

Checking for indicators is a good thing. HGVs oftn also vibrate a little if the engine is running. Also, look out for any movement in the front wheels as a driver coming out of a tight spot might turn the wheel before moving.

As to hurrying through (flat out?) until well past - I'm not sure I'd go at 100%. If you're really flying along, you may have less reaction time if something unexpected happens. I can see the logic of rushing through potential danger zones, but I wouldn't do it - particularly if towing a child; that changes the dynamic responses of a bicycle enough without wanting to add speed to the picture.

After a long and tedious reply, it sounds as if you are doing what you need to do anyway.

 

[Ticktockmy]

Depending on what type of HGV you are approaching depends how big the blind spot it, Long Artic's depending on the length of the trailer, will have a big blind spot when the Tractor is turning even slightly. Rainy days when the mirrors get covered in rain can also reduce the drivers ability to spot you. The problem I found the most worrying, was if I had moved out to the middle of the road so as to make a turning, without the rear wheels crossing the pavement, people would creep up the side of me, with out thinking that as i turned the corner the trailer would cut across the corner. SO my advice treat any HGV with caution, as someone said if you can see the driver in his mirrors then you have a good chance he will see you, but don't bank on it, as he might be more worried about what is happening in front of him. I found that the cyclist's who had a flashing white light on the Bike stood out more when I glanced into the mirrors.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I've gradually become a wheel watcher - the front wheels of a vehicle are generally a very good indication of which way it will go if it starts moving. You will also be able to hear the engine. And - luckily, in this case - lorries aren't built for sudden manoeuvres. It's the warehouse lads popping out for a lunchtime burger and having a bit of a laugh who are more likely to pull out suddenly without indicating.

 

[sidevalve]

One more for the not speeding past, [although I can understand why] an emergency stop with a trailer could be pretty tricky. One thing more is keep a look out for sudden bursts of exhaust smoke, [30 years m/cycling tought me that one and it's even better on a bike as you can sometimes hear 'em too].

 

[asterix]

I remember seeing on Top Gear or 5th Gear an article on lefthand drive lorries on our roads, they have a massive blind spot.

Even my van is tricky on French roads. Having no rear passenger window makes left turns onto main roads difficult if I get the angle wrong. Oncoming vehicles cannot be seen so I have to approach at a right angle. That may well apply to foreign lorries too.

Try as I might, there are simply no mirrors I can find to solve the problem.

I do wonder if CCTV should be fitted to some vehicles in place of mirrors. That could be the next thing I try.

If you can see the driver in his mirror he can see you.

That has to be the simplest answer IMO.

 

[Hebe]

thank you! Lots of help, much appreciated. On phone (broadband down) hence short reply. I've never seen non-uk lorries there, but did once have to avoid a left hand drive car pulling out from between two lorries.

 

[ian emmerson]

As a hgv driver and cyclist myself the advice from others on here is really good.
As already mentioned being able to spot the driver in his mirrors is essential.
I find that most cyclists are sensible and considerate near hgvs although at times don't realise that 3 blind spots around the cab can cause difficulties.
Directly below the cab doors and directly in front of the cab below the windscreen are blind spots and entering these areas can be dangerous.

 

[Ticktockmy]

Even my van is tricky on French roads. Having no rear passenger window makes left turns onto main roads difficult if I get the angle wrong. Oncoming vehicles cannot be seen so I have to approach at a right angle. That may well apply to foreign lorries too.

Try as I might, there are simply no mirrors I can find to solve the problem.

I do wonder if CCTV should be fitted to some vehicles in place of mirrors. That could be the next thing I try.



That has to be the simplest answer IMO.

One company I worked for did have cctv fitted above the rear doors of its own artic and drawbar trailers, which was great for seeing what was happening for about 25 feet behind and great for reversing. One thing I found cyclists had a habit of was if in crawling traffic they would hold onto the straps of the curtain side trailer so as to be towed along, they only
Had to get their fingers trapped and they would have been in deep phoo I used to just stop until they had gone on. As Ian said the forward area below the windscreen can with some cabs be blind for some distance depending on what vehicle make it is. a good place for to see that is where at road junctions they have the cycle zone covering the whole width of the lane. if a cyclist has sneaked up and placed himself in the zone in front of the cab, the driver may not have seen him, at at the green could easily drive over him or them. There as a new shot recently on the TV of a car being pushed along sidewards by a artic, and the driver was unaware the car was even there.. until the police stopped him.

 

[ColinJ]

if a cyclist has sneaked up and placed himself in the zone in front of the cab, the driver may not have seen him, at at the green could easily drive over him or them. There as a new shot recently on the TV of a car being pushed along sidewards by a artic, and the driver was unaware the car was even there.. until the police stopped him.

Yes - that's some blind spot!

 

[Gsxrpaul]

Hi just a quick one as a hgv driver there are a few blindspots on a truck and to be honest the worst ones are directly around the cab and the only advise i have is wear as much hi viz as pos the 6ft flag is great especialy when in traffic. and a bit of useless info i recently read an artical about how drivers were becoming blind to the hi-viz yellow as its overused so much and some companys are starting to issue pink hi-viz. Anyway good luck

 

[summerdays]

a bit of useless info i recently read an artical about how drivers were becoming blind to the hi-viz yellow as its overused so much and some companys are starting to issue pink hi-viz. Anyway good luck

That's bad (for me) ... one of the reasons I have both a pink jacket and gillet is to stand out from the rest though I now see a number of women wearing my jacket on a regular basis. (Though I think pink is bad in mist and revert back to yellow on those days.)

 

[Hawk]

The reason passing on the left is so heavily discouraged is because it is a big killer for cyclists who undertake HGVs turning left - a big, tempting gap appears as the HGV moves out to give itself room to get round the corner, this gap does indeed disappear as the HGV turns.

It sounds like you're doing everything right to avoid any problems on your commute :-)

Approaching the HGV, think about everything else around you. Is there a car behind you that might be more visible to the HGV driver than you are? Is there oncoming traffic or could you (at a push) use the oncoming lane as an 'escape route' in an emergency?

Decide whether the HGV might pull out - wheels, sound, exhaust, indicator etc

If you think it might, the safest option might be to stop well behind it and give way.

If you're alongside it but not close to the cab when the front begins to move out, you probably want to stop - the back wheels follow the front more or less! This might confuse the driver if they have indeed seen you but that's a small price to pay compared to the risks of trying to get past when they haven't clocked you.

If you're nearly at the cab at it begins to pull out you're probably in a blindspot and the best thing is likely to accelerate away and/or change direction and enter the oncoming traffic lane if you have judged it to be safe. Shouting might help.