Cyclists see Roads from Lorry Drivers' Viewpoint

So, being an exchange, I suppose lorry drivers got on bikes?

Interesting, Don, but goodness me, you're could be re-igniting that motorist v cyclist argument again.  Shouldn't we have longer cooling-off period on that one? 

MDS

It is not lorries [HGVs] that are the menace to cyclists in my experience. I grew up on a farm and drove HGVs [off the road initially off-road of course] from the age of 14. I suppose that it becomes second natural to realise that if you cannot see a mirror from a cycle, then the driver can not see you [the cyclist] either. Therefore you do not as a cyclist [or even in a car] go into the blind area of a lorry if you want to stay alive. I suppose I assumed that everyone understood that already, but obviously wrongly.

The main problem on the roads for a cyclist is inattentive and unprofessional car drivers who seem to assume that cyclists are going much slower than they actually are, or that they ought not to be there in the first place, so can be safely ignored or cut up. The other kinds of dangerous drivers for cyclists are those who believe in multi-tasking such as driving while texting and so on. 

Not all cyclists are even proficient users of the road, but at least they don't pose the danger of killing other road users with their occasional lack of proficiency and professionalism.

Beware that there will be soon be some fine pictures of the Carlton emerging with a different handlebar arrangement to give a higher stance for me. I was forced off the cycle for two weeks by the River Severn leaving its normal confines! So I decided to change the set-up to one more suited to an older person! There will be four lights fitted at the front in the neew arrangement. Two marker flashers near the ends of the bar, and two high powered beam lights in the middle - one used on flash and the other used in continuous beam to see the way. And the existing twin rear lights will continue as before, with one continuous and the other flashing. Any car that pulls out in front of that lot will deserve to be strung up IMHO!

Safe cycling and happy driving to all on the Forum!

ATB from George

I'm sure that the lorry drivers were offered the opportunity to take a bike ride Tony, but I imagine that without proper training they felt it was an unjustified risk.

Personally I blame global warming.

Good news waits for no-man. I felt it my duty to bring this to the attention of the forum's cycling fraternity so that if they missed this opportunity they might not miss the next one.............

............otherwise, yes, I agree that cycling and pensions are about as popular in this forum as politics and religion are down at the pub .

certainly an eye-opener George.

Well they should be proficient users of the road. If not then they shouldn't be on the road. They are a danger to themselves. I have a healthy respect for cyclists but given some will happily cycle, headphones on oblivious to what is going on around them, you just know what is going to happen...

........and global warming.............

Here we go....cue for the cyclist Taliban!

Dear Don,

The most dangerous vehicles on the road are agricultural tractors pulling larger trailers. Give them a wide birth in a car or on a cycle.

As I said earlier, I grew up on farms and thirty years ago it was quite normal to pull a for or five ton load of corn or potatoes in a trailer behind a tractor with no power steering and only two 15 inches brake drums. Stopping distance downhill was not always measurable, because the brakes might slow you down, but stopping was actually not possible. Trailers had a hand operated brake like a hand brake that was quite good to stop a trailer moving when decoupled!

Also tractors had mirrors that were frequently narrower than the front of the trailer. However people in the countryside seemed to realise that on a lane with attractor and trailer coming down, you did not start to ascend till the tractor had finished coming down. The tractors of the time were geared and governed to 12 mph. maximum, but you can do a lot of damage at half that speed with enough weight!

ATB from George

PS: Modern tractors have much better brakes and steering, but are still dangerous from the sight-line point of view.

I find that when cycling the inattentive cyclist is no real risk to me, but the inattentive car driver is potentially a Grim Reaper!

In my view the car driver who is inattentive is the far bigger risk to others. I agree that neither unproficient car drivers or cyclists should be on the road. I believe that there should be life ban from using the roads for certain offences, such as using a mobile phone or indeed an iPod while driving/cycling ...

ATB from George

Try telling that to a retired Catholic shop representative polar bear with saddle sores.

Good heavens - two posts from the Nordic one without mentioning the Carlton

In countries that practice canibalism, are run down cyclists fair game/

ATB from George

....perhaps not, but he is a risk to himself and possibly a motorist who fails to recognise the cyclist is inattentive until anaccident becomes inevitable.

I did in the first post! 

ATB from George

Dear Don,

I agree that some cyclists are their own worst enemies on the road. I have three times been crashed into on a cycle by incompetent drivers of cars. That was in 1977, 2010 and 2012. I am a very careful and self-preserving [i.e. cautious] cyclist, though nothing can quite account for the rotten motorist.

But motorists do have responsibilities. Some cyclists are no more self aware than a junior school child walking into the traffic, and yet running over a child like that is quite rightly regarded as terribly serious.

ATB from George

It seems that raising cyclists' awareness of the dangers posed by motor vehicles, and how to minimise such dangers to themselves, was appreciated by a high percentage of cyclists.

Wise adult ones no doubt, but many adolescents are hardly more than children really. Sad but true.

ATB from George

Totally agree there George !

Really! Well is any rational person going to disagree with that statement? 

And it sounds like you are just the guy to monitor, enforce, and adjudicate that rule. I hereby crown you King George! (Has a certain sound to it, doesn't it?) Off you go on your Carlton. Be sure to wear a helmet and remember to take your badge. 

Some cyclists are so competent that they can't tell a main road from a motorway.......and they always accuse the car drivers of not seeing them!!

Not strictly true if they force a driver to swerve to avoid them.

On the original post I think it's an excellent idea.  Having never been in the driver seat of a large lorry I have no idea how much of a view the driver has and letting people see for themselves must have been an eye opener.

If it goes towards improving people's safety then all's good.

How is it that vehicles of such deficient design are allowed on the road?