Exchanging Places

[classic33]

A chance to see the road from the drivers seat

CYCLISTS in London have been given their first chance to swap places with a truck driver in an attempt to spread understanding and increase safety.

The 'Exchanging Places' programme aims to address the most common cause of death and serious injury to cyclists: collisions with HGV vehicles.

The latest move in the initiative, which has been running since 2007, features a police-liveried Mercedes-Benz Actros lorry.

Cyclists are invited up into the cabin to get a first-hand impression of how little a truck driver can see. The idea is that riders will be able to take the new knowledge into account when they ride close to large vehicles.

The Actros, supplied by Sparshatts of Kent with the backing of Mercedes-Benz UK, costs the police nothing except fuel and is driven only by fully-trained police drivers. It won't be used for enforcement.

Police Sergeant Simon Castle, Roads and Transport Policing Command, said: "We are grateful to Mercedes-Benz and Sparshatts of Kent for supplying us with this vehicle, which is perfect for our Exchanging Places programme.

“The feedback from these events is overwhelmingly positive with 97% of cyclists saying they would change their riding as a result of sitting in the driver’s seat, and 99% per cent would recommend it to a friend.

"I urge cyclists to watch the Exchanging Places film on the MPS Youtube website and also arrange to attend an Exchanging Places event. It is invaluable and a potential life saver."

Andrew Sparshatt, Sparshatts of Kent Dealer Principal, said: “This admirable initiative addresses a major issue for the truck industry, particularly in urban areas – that of cyclist safety.

“The Actros looks stunning in its Metropolitan Police livery and will, I feel sure, be an invaluable aid to Sgt Simon Castle and his colleagues in helping them to increase awareness among cyclists of what HGV drivers can – and more importantly cannot – see from their cabs.”

Again, a vehicle manufacturer acknowledging that there is a problem. Any takers?

 

[slowmotion]

That's excellent. Do they do it with a trailer?

 

[Shut Up Legs]

What exchange is occurring? I see no mention in the article of truck drivers getting on bikes.

 

[Roadrider48]

It is a good idea.
But it still implies that the fault is with cyclists....not always the case!

 

[mjr]

Stop this "awareness" BS and ban unsafe HGV cabs and force their redesign.

 

[glenn forger]

One cyclist was amazed at the results:

"It was amazing!"

Said the cyclist.

"I thought it was easy to drive a lorry but once you realise what these drivers have to contend with, driving twenty tons of lorry through crowded urban streets while drunk and chatting on a mobile is MUCH harder than you would think".

 

[Profpointy]

Stop this "education" BS and ban unsafe HGV cabs and force their redesign.

Have to say, I'm a bit sceptical of the unsafe cabs thing, and more inclined to believe it's and excuse for bad driving, akin to the "sun in my eyes" defence successfully used by car drivers. That said, I've only driven a 7.5 tonner, but still, it is a lorry, and you need your wits about you.

 

[glenn forger]

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UN7mJR64tvs


The copper's road positioning is awful, and saying "Never go up the inside of a lorry" completely ignores the fact that that is exactly where an awful lot of cycle lanes lead you.

 

[Origamist]

The last time I attended an exchanging places event I pointed out that the Class V proximity mirror was not attached (which made it harder to spot cyclists on the nearside) and was told "that it was only intended to give a general impression of the view from the cab!".

I suppose you could consider this error or deception (delete according to bias) justified as not all HGVs are compelled to use these mirrors - the vast majority are, however.

 

[mjr]

The copper's road positioning is awful, and saying "Never go up the inside of a lorry" completely ignores the fact that that is exactly where an awful lot of cycle lanes lead you.

Also ignores the fact that drivers take lorries up the outside of cyclists, but if the cyclist was killed then there's only one person to say who was there first...

 

[subaqua]

One cyclist was amazed at the results:

"It was amazing!"

Said the cyclist.

"I thought it was easy to drive a lorry but once you realise what these drivers have to contend with, driving twenty tons of lorry through crowded urban streets while drunk and chatting on a mobile is MUCH harder than you would think".

stop broadbrushing everybody

 

[subaqua]

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UN7mJR64tvs


The copper's road positioning is awful, and saying "Never go up the inside of a lorry" completely ignores the fact that that is exactly where an awful lot of cycle lanes lead you.

so perhaps rather than complaining all lorry drivers are evil killers , lets have a look at sorting out how to share roads properly with proper enforcement and none of this segregation bollox

 

[jarlrmai]

Or perhaps we need to keep trucks which are so dangerous due to lack of visibility out of areas like city centers and more harshly prosecute those who drive them without due care and attention, such as on a mobile phone.

 

[glenn forger]

Criminality among lorry drivers is arguably higher than among any other road user. Random checks on lorries in the capital under Operation Mermaid found that every single lorry that was stopped was breaking the law in some way.

When the Freight Transport Association was asked why their members kill in wildly disproportionate numbers, they blamed cyclists.

More recently, spot checks found that two thirds of all lorries on London's roads failed safety checks.

This most certainly is not prejudice, it's the reality.

 

[subaqua]

Criminality among lorry drivers is arguably higher than among any other road user. Random checks on lorries in the capital under Operation Mermaid found that every single lorry that was stopped was breaking the law in some way.

When the Freight Transport Association was asked why their members kill in wildly disproportionate numbers, they blamed cyclists.

More recently, spot checks found that two thirds of all lorries on London's roads failed safety checks.

This most certainly is not prejudice, it's the reality.

Not denying that like all sections of society there are menaces. BUT NOT ALL , like you always insinuate. Oh look you quote the same flawed study again. So e of the items are broken or missing reflectors FFS . Like a lot of cyclists . But hey if you think a broken reflector on a lorry makes it a dangerous vehicle you keep on .

Maybe I take it too personally as my dad crippled himself not killing a asshat road user whilst driving his lorry. But don't ever class all drivers the same.