HGV driver cyclist awareness

LAMBETH'S CYCLIST and HGV DRIVER AWARENESS PROJECT

The project aims to reduce conflict between cyclists and HGV drivers
and in particular is a response to the disproportionately high number
of cyclist fatalities involving HGVs.

The approach is to educate both HGV drivers and cyclists and to foster
understanding between the two. Lambeth's Road Danger Reduction
strategy would put the emphasis heavily on the drivers of HGVs but it
is also very clear that some cycle fatalities could be avoided if the
cyclist had a little knowledge of national standards cycle training.

Ideally we would reach all cyclists and all HGV drivers but this is
currently impracticable. Instead, Lambeth is running a project which
engages its own fleet of HGV and bus drivers, and alongside this runs
awareness events and adverts aimed at cyclists.

Project Summary:

a) Partnership working with Lambeth's fleet of bus and lorry drivers
which includes: their co-operation and participation in the
Cyclist/HGV awareness events, National Standards Cycle training for
the drivers, installation of special safety mirrors on the fleet.

b) Cyclist/HGV Awareness events.

c) Adverts in Lambeth Life newspaper with to-the-point message:
'Never cycle on the inside of a lorry.'

d) Partnership working with Lambeth's fleet of bus and lorry drivers.

A working partnership with Veolia, Lambeth's refuse collection
contractor and Lambeth's community bus service. Drivers attend a group
classroom session in which they are encouraged to empathise with
cyclists through discussion and national standards training. Topics
discussed include considering how the drivers think cyclists should/do
ride. Experience so far shows a wide range of opinions amongst drivers
resulting in lively classroom discussion.

Drivers then undertake Bikeability level one training in a group, and
then paired training To Bikeability level 2 or 3 depending on the
trainee's availability.

In addition to training, the partnership includes a commitment to the
fitting of parabolic and fresnel mirrors to aid visibility.

e) Cyclist HGV awareness events

Balancing the driver training, these events the focus more on
educating the cyclists. Lambeth's HGV and bus drivers are still
involved by providing a lorry and a bus and explaining to cyclists
their view from their cab.

Formula:

The events are set up on cycle routes to attract passing cyclists.

A Dr Bike attracts cyclists to stop.

While they are getting their bikes fixed they have to opportunity to
go inside the cab of the bus or lorry.

Crucially, after descending the cab they then spend 10-15 minutes with
a cycling instructor who talks them through, with visual
demonstrations, the issues of visibility and correct positioning.

Police officers are also actively involved at the events and sometimes
assist with the instruction.

h)Adverts in Lambeth Life newspaper with to-the-point message:
'Never cycle on the inside of a lorry.' *

These adverts have appeared on the back pages of two editions of
Lambeth Life.

Note:

Lambeth no longer has a Road Safety Officer, having replaced the role
with that of Road Danger Reduction Manager based on the principles of
the Road Danger Reduction Forum. This is an important shift on
emphasis which targets the sources of danger and measures safety
according to potential to inflict harm on other users, (e.g. cycling
is safe because it has low potential to inflict harm on others).

Equally, Lambeth has long been a strong proponent of National
Standards Cycle Training; cyclists are taught how to minimise their
risk through positioning, communication, and awareness."

I think that this is an admirable project but I have always felt that many of
these dreadful deaths and injuries could have been avoided by the cyclists
themselves.

In saying this I am not devolving the "blame" away from the drivers of these
huge trucks. I see so very very many of them "cutting corners" when turning
left. It is an extremely dangerous but, obviously, common manoeuvre. Being so
common it is not surprising that drivers on our overcrowded roads make these
mistakes. My inner feeling on the subject is that the driver should be always
aware of the potentially lethal machine he controls -- BUT -- he, like all of
us, is only human and will create dangerous situations. many many vehicles sat
at a traffic light in the left hand lane will not indicate their intention of
a left turn until the moment they move of. Indeed I find that, in general, a
lot of drivers in UK do not indicate at all -- the principle presumably being
that "I always turn here so I don't need to indicate do I!"

The cyclist, though, should be in a much better position to be "taught" of the
dangers of certain situations. I see so many cyclists "gutter riding" on busy
roads. I see so many cyclists moving up the inside vehicles waiting at traffic
lights and alongside large vehicles. ASL are potentially an asset but the
approach to all the ones in my area are also potential death-traps and I will
never cycle up the inside 24 inch wide "green" strip leading to them.

So yes many heavy vehicle drivers are at fault but I believe that probably a
larger "proportion" of cyclists put themselves into perilous positions.

I am a driver as well as a cyclist and for most of my life I have been a
driver until the last 5 or 6 years when I now consider myself to be a cyclist.
I found it to be a very sharp learning curve when I first started training to
cycle all the way to Santiago de Compostela. but by the time I had cycled my
first 5000 miles in that first year by golly I was a cyclist and an aware one
too. But I cycle daily and most of the cyclists I see on the road appear to be
blithely unaware of the traffic around them. I suspect that they probably
drive their cars in the same way! ( mind you I see far more adults cycling on
the pavements in this area than on the roads)

I do believe that the "cycling ethic" in UK is that it is still a toy and the
"holier than thou" attitude taken by many subscribers to the this NG and often
expressed by such organisations as CTC does not take account of this
situation.The vast majority of POB's ( people on Bikes) have little on the
road awareness or training and are a danger to themselves.

Right that was just a mini rant. As always I tend to ramble on a tad too
long! Sorry about that

After a couple of months away I have finally set filters so that most of the
garbage never appears and long unending topics like "CM" and "Cyclists
Dismount" are automatically "read".

Most of the trolls never appear -- except of course when endlessly repeated
by troll feeders.

So I shall occasionally make a post on here. which will undoubtedly sadden
many others!

--
Trevor A Panther
In South Yorkshire,
England, United Kingdom.
www.tapan.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk


"Tom Crispin" wrote in message
...
LAMBETH'S CYCLIST and HGV DRIVER AWARENESS PROJECT

The project aims to reduce conflict between cyclists and HGV drivers
and in particular is a response to the disproportionately high number
of cyclist fatalities involving HGVs.

The approach is to educate both HGV drivers and cyclists and to foster
understanding between the two. Lambeth's Road Danger Reduction
strategy would put the emphasis heavily on the drivers of HGVs but it
is also very clear that some cycle fatalities could be avoided if the
cyclist had a little knowledge of national standards cycle training.

Ideally we would reach all cyclists and all HGV drivers but this is
currently impracticable. Instead, Lambeth is running a project which
engages its own fleet of HGV and bus drivers, and alongside this runs
awareness events and adverts aimed at cyclists.

Project Summary:

a) Partnership working with Lambeth's fleet of bus and lorry drivers
which includes: their co-operation and participation in the
Cyclist/HGV awareness events, National Standards Cycle training for
the drivers, installation of special safety mirrors on the fleet.

b) Cyclist/HGV Awareness events.

c) Adverts in Lambeth Life newspaper with to-the-point message:
'Never cycle on the inside of a lorry.'

d) Partnership working with Lambeth's fleet of bus and lorry drivers.

A working partnership with Veolia, Lambeth's refuse collection
contractor and Lambeth's community bus service. Drivers attend a group
classroom session in which they are encouraged to empathise with
cyclists through discussion and national standards training. Topics
discussed include considering how the drivers think cyclists should/do
ride. Experience so far shows a wide range of opinions amongst drivers
resulting in lively classroom discussion.

Drivers then undertake Bikeability level one training in a group, and
then paired training To Bikeability level 2 or 3 depending on the
trainee's availability.

In addition to training, the partnership includes a commitment to the
fitting of parabolic and fresnel mirrors to aid visibility.

e) Cyclist HGV awareness events

Balancing the driver training, these events the focus more on
educating the cyclists. Lambeth's HGV and bus drivers are still
involved by providing a lorry and a bus and explaining to cyclists
their view from their cab.

Formula:

The events are set up on cycle routes to attract passing cyclists.

A Dr Bike attracts cyclists to stop.

While they are getting their bikes fixed they have to opportunity to
go inside the cab of the bus or lorry.

Crucially, after descending the cab they then spend 10-15 minutes with
a cycling instructor who talks them through, with visual
demonstrations, the issues of visibility and correct positioning.

Police officers are also actively involved at the events and sometimes
assist with the instruction.

h)Adverts in Lambeth Life newspaper with to-the-point message:
'Never cycle on the inside of a lorry.' *

These adverts have appeared on the back pages of two editions of
Lambeth Life.

Note:

Lambeth no longer has a Road Safety Officer, having replaced the role
with that of Road Danger Reduction Manager based on the principles of
the Road Danger Reduction Forum. This is an important shift on
emphasis which targets the sources of danger and measures safety
according to potential to inflict harm on other users, (e.g. cycling
is safe because it has low potential to inflict harm on others).

Equally, Lambeth has long been a strong proponent of National
Standards Cycle Training; cyclists are taught how to minimise their
risk through positioning, communication, and awareness."

On 12 Nov, 04:24, Tom Crispin
wrote:
LAMBETH'S CYCLIST and HGV DRIVER AWARENESS PROJECT

The project aims to reduce conflict between cyclists and HGV drivers
and in particular is a response to the disproportionately high number
of cyclist fatalities involving HGVs.

The approach is to educate both HGV drivers and cyclists and to foster
understanding between the two. Lambeth's Road Danger Reduction
strategy would put the emphasis heavily on the drivers of HGVs but it
is also very clear that some cycle fatalities could be avoided if the
cyclist had a little knowledge of national standards cycle training.


On a related subject, in the local news today, although not a left-
turning lorry:-

"A cyclist who died in Battersea this year was hit by a lorry after
trying to squeeze down the side of it, an inquest has found."

"[Witness] said: “He went to the left and I believe that he would have
hit the railings and that’s how he bounced back to hit the lorry.”

"Since the accident Mr Isaacs [lorry] gave up driving at Rapid Link
Transport and is retraining as a heating engineer."

http://tinyurl.com/5sfbg8

Railings are definitely a mixed blessing. No room to abandon the bike
when things get too exciting. I try and avoid this tight filtering,
but the roads become so jammed that I sometimes feel impelled to risk
it.

(By the way, glad to see the Return of the Panther, even though he's
plonked me).

Squashme writes:

Railings are definitely a mixed blessing.

I'm really not sure that's true: certainly on urban streets I don't
think they're any kind of a blessing at all.


-dan

Squashme wrote:
On 12 Nov, 04:24, Tom Crispin
wrote:
LAMBETH'S CYCLIST and HGV DRIVER AWARENESS PROJECT

The project aims to reduce conflict between cyclists and HGV drivers
and in particular is a response to the disproportionately high number
of cyclist fatalities involving HGVs.

The approach is to educate both HGV drivers and cyclists and to foster
understanding between the two. Lambeth's Road Danger Reduction
strategy would put the emphasis heavily on the drivers of HGVs but it
is also very clear that some cycle fatalities could be avoided if the
cyclist had a little knowledge of national standards cycle training.


On a related subject, in the local news today, although not a left-
turning lorry:-

"A cyclist who died in Battersea this year was hit by a lorry after
trying to squeeze down the side of it, an inquest has found."

"[Witness] said: “He went to the left and I believe that he would have
hit the railings and that’s how he bounced back to hit the lorry.”

Hmm...

The reporter doesn't seem to be able to make up his/her mind as to who hit whom.

Daniel Barlow wrote:
Squashme writes:

Railings are definitely a mixed blessing.

I'm really not sure that's true: certainly on urban streets I don't
think they're any kind of a blessing at all.


-dan
well they control the way people cross the road very effectively - I
assume that's what they're there for.
Roger Thorpe

"Daniel Barlow" wrote in message
...
Squashme writes:

Railings are definitely a mixed blessing.

I'm really not sure that's true: certainly on urban streets I don't
think they're any kind of a blessing at all.

We had some in our town that were put on the market square to stop peds
spilling into the road. They also painted a gutter cycle lane by the side.
Problem was that car drivers pulling out of a 1-way side road could not see
through the railings and with regularity, wiped out cyclists.

The have now moved the railings and Tarmaced over the cycle lane.

"Roger Thorpe" wrote in message
...
Daniel Barlow wrote:
Squashme writes:

Railings are definitely a mixed blessing.

I'm really not sure that's true: certainly on urban streets I don't
think they're any kind of a blessing at all.


-dan
well they control the way people cross the road very effectively - I
assume that's what they're there for.

Ah yes, they enable traffic to move swiftly through junctions with having to
worry about people being in the way.

Roger Thorpe writes:

[railings]
well they control the way people cross the road very effectively - I
assume that's what they're there for.

Which is the point really, isn't it? Pedestrians have as much right
to use the road as anyone else: if the pavement is so crowded that
they have to use the carriageway to make progress, who's to say they
should be prevented?

Obviously if it's the M6 I could understand fencing it off, but in the
central London congestion zone? Streets are for people. Let the car
drivers slow down a bit and pay attention to what's going on around
them.


-dan

Daniel Barlow wrote:
Squashme writes:

Railings are definitely a mixed blessing.

I'm really not sure that's true: certainly on urban streets I don't
think they're any kind of a blessing at all.


From:-
http://www.thelondondailynews.com/mayor-scrap-safety-barriers-safety%E2%80%99s-sake-p-1730.html

Mayor Boris Johnson is set to order the removal of hundreds of roadside
safety barriers from London's busy streets - to improve safety.

A trial in the West End de bunked the theory that metal railings made
pedestrians and motorists safer after 600 yards of the cage like fencing
was removed - with incidents falling nearly 44% in the three years after
September 2003.

Often described as ugly by town planners, the railings are a common
irritance for pedestrians who are herded towards the snaking railings.

Johnson will also order Transport for London to remove signposts and
utility from the edge of roads - the moves are seen as another part of
the Mayor's "Quality of Life" agenda.