HGVs in towns and cities

[Origamist]

This short doc is not perfect, but it highlights some of the issues:

http://showcase.commedia.org.uk/article/articleview/390/1/13/

Evening Standard article:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/stand...rs+'need+educating+about+cyclists'/article.do

 

[Origamist]

What to do about Lorries:http://www.movingtargetzine.com/article/what-to-do-about-lorries

http://www.movingtargetzine.com/article/what-to-do-about-lorries#comment

Good campaigning letter to send to the Mayor, TFL, DFT, your MP etc

 

[Jake]

bring in the Talliban and roll the clock back to 4,000BC.

 

[dondare]

Just 100 years will do.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

What to do about Lorries ...

... the best thing to do is keep well clear of them (ie, us) and acknowledge that we're not there for fun, we're actually delivering stuff demanded by the public (ie, you). far better to campaign for a ban on cars in towns and cities: their drivers at least stand a chance of getting to their destinations using other methods of transport.

 

[gavintc]

... the best thing to do is keep well clear of them (ie, us) and acknowledge that we're not there for fun, we're actually delivering stuff demanded by the public (ie, you). far better to campaign for a ban on cars in towns and cities: their drivers at least stand a chance of getting to their destinations using other methods of transport.

Complete agree. Lorries, like buses are part of societal needs. In the main the drivers of both are better than average. The problem is keeping cars out of towns and cities.

 

[wafflycat]

Have to say, in my neck of the woods, the HGV drivers are almost all exceedingly courteous drivers. There's a quarry just up the road from me, so there's a lot of HGVs coming & going and the vast majority of the roads are narrow and narrowish lanes. The HGV drivers are so good, I dropped a note into the quarry manager asking if he'd pass my thanks along to the drivers for being so careful around this vulnerable road user (me when cycling). Seems it was appreicated, as I got some feedback.

 

[Cab]

I've always found that HGV drivers respect a cyclist who claims his road space, and give plenty of room. The difficulty they have is blind spots a mile wide; with the best will (and mirrors!) in the world, thats hard to get around, and that means that we have to take care around them. Can't blame them for that though.

Occasionally they'll make mistakes, like we all do; the results can be catastrophic, thats just a function of size and mass.

 

[Origamist]

... the best thing to do is keep well clear of them (ie, us) and acknowledge that we're not there for fun, we're actually delivering stuff demanded by the public (ie, you). far better to campaign for a ban on cars in towns and cities: their drivers at least stand a chance of getting to their destinations using other methods of transport.

I do steer clear of large vehicles (which is the best advice), but it's not always that simple.

I'm not campaigining for an absolute ban of HGVs in cities (or cars for that matter) and neither was the Moving Target article/letter. I am trying to raise awareness of what is a serious problem for both cyclists and HGV drivers (I have seen first-hand the the horrific consequences of a fatal RTA and, after the initial shock, I was sick).

We need better education for cyclists and drivers - a media campaign would be a good start.

 

[domtyler]

I think that restricting HGV's from many inner city roads during peak hours would have a positive effect on fatality rates. It is irrelevant that many (not all) HGV drivers are highly skilled, professional and courteous to others, including cyclists, the problem lies with the vehicles they are driving and their inherent unsuitability for negotiating narrow and congested urban roads.

That said, I recognise that they have an essential role to play but of the variables the only one we have to play with at present is the degree of congestion. We cannot change the nature or size of the vehicles and we cannot change the size of the roads. We can ensure, though, that they are not present while congestion is at peak levels.

 

[Origamist]

Dom, in Dublin they have a partially restricted HGVs with 5+ axles between 7am and 7pm.

http://www.dublincity.ie/RoadsandTraffic/HGV/Pages/HGV Management Strategy.aspx

 

[BADGER.BRAD]

Hello All,


Speaking as a HGV driver who has done some extremely big loads in my time I think this is down to education of all road users ,road safety especially cycles should be taught at a young age and should be a part of a child's school education as it used to be, car drivers and anyone driving on a car licence (vans/7.5t trucks) Should have to take a much harder test than it is, as proved day in day out on our roads any idiot is allowed to use one ! It's no good HGV drivers having to take advanced tests if no one else needs to be educated to such a standard. That's my view anyway.


The video though very good threw up a few points which seemed a bit stupid to me ,As most Artics I have driven will carry 29 tonnes and most 7.5 tonne trucks only carry 2.9 tonnes (ish) would you rather have 10 x 7.5t trucks or one artic on our roads. From an environmental point of view a 7.5 tonne truck will do 16ish mpg an artic 10 ish mpg as you can see an awful extra amount of pollution noise and traffic if smaller trucks were used plus of coarse the fact that most 7.5t trucks are still driven by people with only a car licence ( free off the back of a cornflakes box).
The side underun bar issue again is a bit stupid as any lower and the thing would keep getting ripped off, they are bad enough as they are, The trucks show in the video are all exempt from underun bars because the nature of work they do means this would be a constant problem so it was a bit cheeky to use them as an example.


And last How many idiots do you see on bikes who have no regard for there own safety never mind anyone else, what chance has anyone got against these people (no lights/brakes wearing black at night /cycling the wrong way down one way streets/running red lights/jumping off pavements in front of you the list is endless! Maybe cyclists should be forced to take a test of the same advance standard as a HGV driver £2000 ? have number plates ,tax discs ?


I would never wish to see this of coarse but why ban the lorries because of stupid cyclists, I'm not for a second saying HGV drivers cannot make a bad manoeuvre /judgements but I would think It was more likely in general the bad cyclists fault !

 

[BentMikey]

Whilst I'd be one of the first to say that most HGV drivers are far better than the average, many are still not good enough, particularly the sort of tipper and cement mixer drivers, perhaps paid by trip. There are certainly many muppet cyclists out there, but given that blame and liability is due to the motor vehicle driver in something of the order of 80% of motor vehicle/cyclist collisions, I'd guess that more than half the deaths of cyclists in HGV interactions can be blamed on the HGV driver.

Much much more responsibility and care needs to be taken by drivers of big vehicles. The danger comes from them, after all.

 

[hackbike 6]

And last How many idiots do you see on bikes who have no regard for there own safety never mind anyone else, what chance has anyone got against these people (no lights/brakes wearing black at night /cycling the wrong way down one way streets/running red lights/jumping off pavements in front of you the list is endless!

Too true.I had a dose of that recently.

 

[Graham1]

I think as a lorry driver and a keen cyclist it is not just drivers who need educating about cyclists but also vice versa, one day I very nearly hit a postman on a bike who was down my nearside in a blind spot,I spotted him just in the nick of time as I was about to move away, I got out and invited him to sit in my seat and then positioned my self in the position he was in before I spotted him, he was amazed that he could not see me and i am a good foot taller than him, so don't go knocking lorry drivers we have a hard enough job as it is, remember there is good and bad amongst all of us and the bad are usually in the minority but they are the ones that get us all a bad name be it cyclists or HGV drivers.