Truck V Cyclist Accidents Discussion

[flecc]

A section of the "You and Yours" program on BBC Radio 4 today, 13th February was a discussion on these accidents on London, things done to alleviate and proposals. You can listen again shortly on the BBC i-player:

You and Yours on i-player

 

[z0mb13e]

A section of the "You and Yours" program on BBC Radio 4 today, 13th February was a discussion on these accidents on London, things done to alleviate and proposals. You can listen again shortly on the BBC i-player:

You and Yours on i-player

Piece starts at 38:50 if you don't want to listen to the whole thing.

 

[flecc]

Thanks z0mb13e, I didn't note the start point as that subject took me by surprise as it came on.http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/members/z0mb13e.html

 

[timidtom]

Less than reassuring to hear the lady debating if it was worth spending £300 - £2000 on fitting the camera/alarm. Just what is the life of a cyclist worth these days?

 

[mike killay]

Well I thought that she was quite sensible, obviously cared about cyclists etc. and merely pointed out that the cost of cameras would have to be evaluated against other measures which could be better.

 

[steveindenmark]

I did not listen to the broadcast but I would pay a lot of attention to what the lorry driver have to say.

I drove lorries in the UK for many years, up to LGV1...or HGV1 as it was then. You can decorate the front of a lorry with mirrors, until it looks like a 1960s Vespa scooter and there are still places where a bike can hide. The idea that every lorry driver who is involved in an accident with a bike is not paying attention or is incompetent is a non starter.

There are so many lorry/bike accidents that I believe a lot of light could be shed on the problem if they actually involve lorry drivers to solve the problem. I am sure they want the problem to be sorted out.

Putting cameras in cabs would just be another distraction for the drivers.

The only way to really solve this problem is to get the traffic away from the bikes. But everyone is looking for an easy/ cheap fix.

Steve

 

[Biker44]

The idea that every lorry driver who is involved in an accident with a bike is not paying attention or is incompetent is a non starter.

I'm on the side of the lorry drivers. The only cyclist killed in St Ives in many years was undertaking at traffic lights when this happened. Cyclists have got to know about this trap and avoid it. Friends of cycling have got to warn each other.

Instead of which, we have endless discussions about cycle-helmets, which are completely useless in this situation and probably useless in most others.

Lets say that again - cyclists rarely run head-on into cars (helmets might save them) and rarely fall off and skid for yards along the black-top until hitting a kerb (helmets might save them). Mostly, cyclists get crushed (a few more are hit in the mid-torso by speeding cars).

So this is not a technological problem, it's an education problem, and the solution starts with us.

 

[flecc]

The idea that every lorry driver who is involved in an accident with a bike is not paying attention or is incompetent is a non starter.

Steve

Fully agree Steve, as Biker44 remarks, a high proportion of the accidents are with cyclists in the l/h "blind" danger position at lights, and most of the others are similar n/s positioned accidents. One reason why I constantly post on this issue is as a reminder that the solution is largely in cyclist's hands, hopefully saving a life along the way.