HGV driver fails to spot approaching motorcyclist

[Profpointy]

Very much so!

I've rode motorcycles longer than I have driven cars for, and daily commuting around Manchester City Centre, you very quickly get used to using a clutch and a horn at the same time

I'm returner after over 20 year gap so still a bit wobbly. Thought something sensible would be best after such a gap so bought 1000cc Triumph ! Done maybe 40000 miles total on bikes but 20 times that in cars.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

I'm returner after over 20 year gap so still a bit wobbly. Thought something sensible would be best after such a gap so bought 1000cc Triumph ! Done maybe 40000 miles total on bikes but 20 times that in cars.

Anything less than 900cc may as well be called a bicycle

 

[Profpointy]

Anything less than 900cc may as well be called a bicycle

At the risk of thread derail, joking aside, I bought such a big bike to get proper panniers rather than speed per se and to be honest it's easier to pootle about on than my old, not very sporty 600. Nice to be able to buy British on merit rather than mere sentiment too.

 

[jonny jeez]

I've been in London too long. First thing I though after the ol' lady hugged the rider was.."check wallet".

Nasty incident.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

I'm surprised he shouted at the HGV instead of using a horn.

I think I had time/cognitive function to swear at the minicab I somersaulted over in my motorbike accident. I know I didn't go for the horn button, but then I was never a big horn user. Doesn't really matter as neither would have made an iota of difference.

 

[MichaelW2]

I hate cars with fat A-pillars.
I was taken out by a slow moving car turning into a main road. His A-pillar completely obscured me and we were both moving at a speed which kept me at an obscured angle.
Saab used to reinforce their A pillars along the diagonal, maximizing visibility.
Why do modern cars have such poor all-round visibility, from fat A and B pillars and massively huge C/D-pillars and really high rear-seat window sills.

Drivers need to shift position to see all the road, but most can't even be arsed to use their indicators.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

I hate cars with fat A-pillars.
I was taken out by a slow moving car turning into a main road. His A-pillar completely obscured me and we were both moving at a speed which kept me at an obscured angle.
Saab used to reinforce their A pillars along the diagonal, maximizing visibility.
Why do modern cars have such poor all-round visibility, from fat A and B pillars and massively huge C/D-pillars and really high rear-seat window sills.

Drivers need to shift position to see all the road, but most can't even be arsed to use their indicators.

Because they now have to be big enough to fit air bags into them.

 

[Tynan]

yes, I drive a Zafira and they have a pronounced blind spot when turning from the pillars at the corner of the windscreen, it's much improved in recent models but still a problem

 

[Profpointy]

to be honest, I doubt if a whole motorcycle was hidden by pillars. The driver likely looked but didn't look properly / register a motorbike as a "thing". Maybe focussing on the parking manoeuvre rather than looking properly. He wasn't doing anything inherently stupid - but still failed to complete the manoeuvre competently & safely .

I confess I've done similar failures to look properly, without such consequences, despite trying my best to be systematic and not doing stupid or irresponsible things. Got shouted at by cyclist for pulling out in front of him - my fault - I'd been creeping out carefully but too focussed on where I thought the greatest hazard was, and failed to re-check the "safe" direction from which the cyclist "appeared from nowhere" despite visibility being clear that way. No harm done, but I could have hit him. My mistake, though in his position I'd not have zoomed past a creeping out car - but it was quiet road at 6am and I can't really better observation from him than I managed.

I don't know what the answer is for this kind of thing. We can legislate / punish / and choose not to do daft things, and try to be systematic, and leave a margin egc, but it's easy to miss things. The gorilla test is an eye opener on task-focus.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

On some traffic islands I can hide a 4x4 in my a pillar if the angle is right. A motorcycle could hide quite easily

 

[Profpointy]

On some traffic islands I can hide a 4x4 in my a pillar if the angle is right. A motorcycle could hide quite easily

yes but you are supposed to move your.head around

 

[sidevalve]

Unbelievable ! Had this been a cyclist we would have had dozens of posts demanding the drivers blood and yet here we are with people actually finding excuses. The A pillar is too thick - the mirrors were in the way - I mean get real here - talk about double standards this is pathetic. We have just had a thread about bikers and several comments on the noise they make - well yes it seems it's true LOUD PIPES SAVE LIVES get over it. I did think that cyclists and bikers seemed to rub along fairly ok but it seems not and yes I do ride both.

 

[theclaud]

Unbelievable ! Had this been a cyclist we would have had dozens of posts demanding the drivers blood and yet here we are with people actually finding excuses. The A pillar is too thick - the mirrors were in the way - I mean get real here - talk about double standards this is pathetic. We have just had a thread about bikers and several comments on the noise they make - well yes it seems it's true LOUD PIPES SAVE LIVES get over it. I did think that cyclists and bikers seemed to rub along fairly ok but it seems not and yes I do ride both.

Nurse! The screens!

 

[Origamist]

[QUOTE 3810152, member: 9609"]yes that would explain the strange line the driver was taking, looking at the street view from the drivers POV LINK the road is wide and he should have hung back until approaching traffic had passed the bus.

I can't see a redesigned cab making any difference here, what we need is a redesigned driver - this bloke wasn't concentrating and needs his HGV licience shoved in the nearest bin.[/QUOTE]

Sadly, you can't "redesign" drivers. People will continue to make mistakes in vehicles that are not fit for purpose in dense urban areas. Where cab redesign will help is to allow drivers to see more of what is in front and to the sides of their cab. This might be the difference between a collision and a close call.

Last week the FTA where asking for government incentives to progress the cab redesign of HGVs.

 

[Origamist]

Unbelievable ! Had this been a cyclist we would have had dozens of posts demanding the drivers blood and yet here we are with people actually finding excuses. The A pillar is too thick - the mirrors were in the way - I mean get real here - talk about double standards this is pathetic. We have just had a thread about bikers and several comments on the noise they make - well yes it seems it's true LOUD PIPES SAVE LIVES get over it. I did think that cyclists and bikers seemed to rub along fairly ok but it seems not and yes I do ride both.

Wrong. If it had been a cyclist we would have had dozens of posts about how slow the cyclist was to react, why was he going so fast, why was he in the middle of the lane, etc etc etc.