Lanes, Lights and High-Cab Lorries

[mr_mark_sid]

Thankyou all for very helpful replies.

I have had several specific instances of trucks approaching from ahead. It happens as trucks set out for a night time trip from farms stocking either poultry or hay bales (7-10pm) to often quite distant buyers. I know they freight the hay bales nationally. This has also happened about twenty meters from a right turning junction where they are turning onto the lane that I am on.

While I mention 'blind spots' I am not sure that this is the whole picture. My impression is that this may more be 'sight lines'. From a higher elevation I think the drivers look further ahead and pay less attention to the nearer and lower objects outside of the sight line which they are more attentive too. Hence a higher light source is more likely to be in the sight line that they are paying attention to and a flashing, diffuse source is all the more effective.

Mark

[rogerzilla]

From ahead? Ah. You don't have two front lights side by side, do you? That can be lethal, as the oncoming driver thinks he sees a car, far away.

[mattsccm]

Just make yourself conspicuous. If you have known vulnerable spots be prepared to give way.
Something I tried walking, because this was the only torch charged, was a green light. It's a "what the hell is that" moment and gets you noticed. Of course not legal as a bike light but as a flashing bit on your jumper it is't a bike light at all.

[LollyKat]

I was once overtaken by a cyclist who really was lit up like a Christmas tree, with red, white and green flashing lights on his jacket and helmet in addition to normal bike lights. They were really distracting - safer for that rider but perhaps not for other road users.

[hoogerbooger]

I don't know about others but when driving and I see a single white light approaching or if I'm approaching a single red light there is a brain lag before the head thinks is this a motorbike far away or a bicycle pretty close. Distances are harder to judge in the dark. I react much more quickly if I see flashing lights and slow down. But that may be because I'm a cyclist.

Before super bright bike lights appeared I decided that the pedal reflectors were the most useful diagnostic that it's a bicycle followed by flashing lights. Late night traffic on the wiggly country lanes round here is often going far too fast. My approach is:

1: where options exist, select the safest route.
2. good head light and flashing rear. + extra flashing rear on my helmet
3. Night Vision reflective vest/gilet
4. Pedal reflectors.
5. use my ears and knowledge of bends to decide how far out to cycle ( generally middle of lane/single track until vehicles closer and have slowed down.....or if I think they aren't !)

I have mixed views on super bright front lights. I agree on double lights.... that they can confuse. quite a few motorbikes have close twin front lights. As a driver I often get quite a lot dazzle from these bright front bike lights which I am not convinced is helpful. the lights are probably not set up right (?) I'll be on dip. They can see me but I can't see them at the point of passing and sometimes I can't see the road edge to check my road position. However I do slow down, more than I would if I could see the bike....cos I can't see where the *ell I'm going. This might make the cyclist safer because I've slowed down so much? but they *iss me off a fair bit........and I'm a cyclist.

I don't use a flashing front light, but perhaps one would be sensible with the lorry traffic you have.

[[XAP]Bob]

This is the one that I was looking for... flat-fronted cab on an articulated lorry:



Jonathan

That's a lorry that's just swung out around the cyclists and is left hooking them... not a great example.

[Jdsk]

This is one of the reasons for the 'direct vision' approach, which has been implemented in London.

I'm impressed by what I see coming out of London, eg:
"HGV safety permit guidance for operators entering London":
https://content.tfl.gov.uk/hgv-safety-p ... london.pdf

NB date.

Consultation on the next set of requirements:

"Making London's lorries safer - proposals for changes to the HGV Safety Permit Scheme";
https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/making-l ... rlorries#1

Jonathan

[Barrowman]

I appreciate that drivers should always be aware that a cyclist is in their 'striking' range .

I have recently seen runners with highly reflective tops ,afraid I don't know the make.
You could also consider a flag (like the recumbents have )
And a bunch of flashing LED's ( my Trike lights up like a Christmas Tree at night ) (a trike rear triangle really lends itself to mounting LED's)
Saw a machine with lights around whole rim diameter ,on the spokes, recently.
Useless from the back but most roads have bends ,that should make lights like this visible.
Again can't help with make here , just seen them on the road.

[mjr]

I appreciate that drivers should always be aware that a cyclist is in their 'striking' range .

I have recently seen runners with highly reflective tops ,afraid I don't know the make.
You could also consider a flag (like the recumbents have )
And a bunch of flashing LED's ( my Trike lights up like a Christmas Tree at night ) (a trike rear triangle really lends itself to mounting LED's)
Saw a machine with lights around whole rim diameter ,on the spokes, recently.
Useless from the back but most roads have bends ,that should make lights like this visible.
Again can't help with make here , just seen them on the road.

So, only a "be aware" for the killers, but plenty of stuff you want the victims to buy? Seems a bit backwards.

[foxyrider]

I appreciate that drivers should always be aware that a cyclist is in their 'striking' range .

I have recently seen runners with highly reflective tops ,afraid I don't know the make.
You could also consider a flag (like the recumbents have )
And a bunch of flashing LED's ( my Trike lights up like a Christmas Tree at night ) (a trike rear triangle really lends itself to mounting LED's)
Saw a machine with lights around whole rim diameter ,on the spokes, recently.
Useless from the back but most roads have bends ,that should make lights like this visible.
Again can't help with make here , just seen them on the road.

So, only a "be aware" for the killers, but plenty of stuff you want the victims to buy? Seems a bit backwards.

indeed - how about outlawing 'blindspots' on any motor vehicle - the technology is available. Also the banning of those law dodging signs affixed to the rear of many large and even small vehicles?

[cycle tramp]

This is the one that I was looking for... flat-fronted cab on an articulated lorry:



Jonathan

That's a lorry that's just swung out around the cyclists and is left hooking them... not a great example.

Er...I didn't view it like that. I viewed it as the lorry had swung out (at a tight junction) in order to give enough space for the length of the trailer to make the turn. The cyclists arrived later and positioned themselves to the left of the trailer, without perhaps realising why the truck had swung wide.
There's such several such junctions in Taunton, and I've seen trucks position themselves in a similar manner. If they didn't, the trailer wouldn't be able to make the turn and cab and trailer would end up on the wrong side of the road.

[mjr]

There's such several such junctions in Taunton, and I've seen trucks position themselves in a similar manner. If they didn't, the trailer wouldn't be able to make the turn and cab and trailer would end up on the wrong side of the road.

Some modern junction geometries intend truck drivers to wait for a gap in the traffic and use the " wrong" side of the road to make the turn. After all, better to do that than to squash vehicles in the left lane.

[cycle tramp]

There's such several such junctions in Taunton, and I've seen trucks position themselves in a similar manner. If they didn't, the trailer wouldn't be able to make the turn and cab and trailer would end up on the wrong side of the road.

Some modern junction geometries intend truck drivers to wait for a gap in the traffic and use the " wrong" side of the road to make the turn. After all, better to do that than to squash vehicles in the left lane.

Gosh, one would hope so.. sadly the junctions I was thinking about in Taunton were built mid 1800's (I think) and as such could just about manage the occasional four horse carriage... of course there's a whole debate about whether hgv's should be in town centres but that's a whole other thread.