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That's only the number of fatalities. A large number of serious injury occurs across a wider range of vehicles than just HGV's. I'd say the majority are probabl
by logiclabs 11y ago
That's only the number of fatalities. A large number of serious injury occurs across a wider range of vehicles than just HGV's. I'd say the majority are probably down to poor driving judgement, and a modest number are due to distractions. A lot of these HGV injuries are to do with bad road design and poor cyclist judgement - pulling along side the left-hand side of a HGV while it's stationery into both the drivers blind spot and being unable to see the vehicles indicators. A few of the fatalities I know of were pretty unnecessary, since there are more than adequate cycle paths to skip around the dangerous sections of road. The Elephant and Castle roundabout is particularly notorious, but is surrounded by much safer cycle paths. Despite this, a large majority of cyclists stick to the highly dangerous road, and probably the same majority that decide to risk running red lights. (I am a cyclist, so I'm not starting a cyclist vs driver debate)
- walshemj 11y agoTrue 20 years ago I used to cycle in London and NOT! undertaking traffic and not riding in the gutter was my golden rule
- revelation 11y agoThat's hilarious logic. The HGV runs someone over due to poor vision, and it's that persons fault? That must be what people mean with the whole spraying bullets into a crowd thing. It's a victimless crime, except for the poor idiot that just had to lean into one bullet.
- DanBC 11y agoThe HGV pulls up to a traffic lighted junction. The driver is indicating to turn left. The traffic lights are currently red, and so the driver is stopped. A cyclist undertakes the HGV - passes on the left. The cyclist is attempting to reach the cyclists junction box. While making this manouver the traffic lights change from red to red-amber and then green. The HGV driver checks the mirrors but does not see the cyclist (who is in the HGV blindspot) and pulls off, turning left, crushing and killing the cyclist who is trapped between the HGV and the curb. I've tried to word this neutrally. It's a tragic situation and there's learning for cyclists and HGV vehicles, and road designers here.
- revelation 11y agoSo a design fault of his vehicle made the driver unable to follow the rules of the road and properly check for the presence of other road users. As a result, he kills someone. This isn't a tragic situation. It's a probable situation, and we know the root cause. It's the driver, of course, since the burden of lawfully operating his vehicle at all times falls on him, no matter the particularities. And it's the vehicle maker, because clearly the HGV isn't fit for traffic.
- walshemj 11y agoApart form the fact that other road users don't normally undertake
- revelation 11y agoDisregarding the fact that someone else violating a road law doesn't entitle you to run them over, that is an unnecessary complication in his scenario. You can be just as much in the ominous "blind spot" standing in a separate bike lane, or even just in a separate lane when the HGV tries to change lanes.
- walshemj 11y agoThose junction boxes in front of traffic are dangerous as it encourages cyclists to swerve through stopped traffic - I am sure the road designers in london hate cyclists
- walshemj 11y agoFrom what I remember of the highway code in the UK undertaking is banned. outwith slow moving traffic on motorways. Cyclists need to understand that deliberately riding in unsafe ways to save a couple of minutes is dangerous. Its more like going into a hells angels bar and picking a fight and being surprised you end up on hospital