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Midlothian council are doing their bit

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Eccentrica Gallumbits:
http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/bin-lorries-get-warning-signs-for-cyclists-1-3603611

Cudzoziemiec:
Oh wow oh wow. How does the "large disc on the rear of the truck warning cyclists it is about to turn left" do anything an indicator does not do? They don't say how it's activated, but presumably it is linked to the indicators - or is it telepathic?

The sensors might be a good idea. Although "The device detects only the progressive movement made by the cyclist, eliminating ­virtually all false alarms" so if the cyclist stops - because they realise the lorry's about to turn - it no longer alerts the driver? Hmm. There might, of course, be a risk compensation factor on cyclists - knowing the system is in place, they will no longer think twice about undertaking a left-turning lorry - but I think that would only apply to those who are already unaware of/don't care about the risk. The really important thing, of course, is how the driver reacts on receiving an alarm (and whether they give up checking mirrors cos the sensor will do it for them - though it might also remind them to do so, by its presence).

Kim:

--- Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on 14 November, 2014, 12:54:26 pm ---Oh wow oh wow. How does the "large disc on the rear of the truck warning cyclists it is about to turn left" do anything an indicator does not do? They don't say how it's activated, but presumably it is linked to the indicators - or is it telepathic?

--- End quote ---

And is a light-up green bicycle symbol necessarily going to convey the right message?



--- Quote ---The sensors might be a good idea. Although "The device detects only the progressive movement made by the cyclist, eliminating ­virtually all false alarms" so if the cyclist stops - because they realise the lorry's about to turn - it no longer alerts the driver? Hmm.

--- End quote ---

We don't know that's how it works.  I don't see an obvious reason it can't keep the alarm asserted when a cyclist turns into a stationary object, and only clear it once the lorry has moved forward past the object.

Cudzoziemiec:
Well, I don't think it's green to most people, but certainly it's not a particularly obvious warning symbol. Maybe they should have made it red? But whatever colour they make it, it's just a hitec (well, shiny) version of those "cyclists stay back" stickers - but teched out to the point of ambiguity.

As for how it works, I took their description to mean it only detects moving persons/objects - otherwise it would be triggered by parked cars and so on - but I agree, we don't know quite how it works.

contango:

--- Quote ---“Education and practical training is also essential to generating mutual understanding, by putting lorry drivers in the position of those who travel by bike, both in theory and in practice, so that they are much more aware of people on bikes while out on the road.”

Kim Harding, founder ­member of cycling campaign group Pedal on Parliament, said the technology would not make a “real difference” until the roads were less dangerous.

He said: “This is more to do with poor sightlines and drivers not looking properly. There should be more investment in making roads safer, such as speed limit measures.”

He added: “However, I do know a cyclist who was hit by an HGV who overtook him and turned left and if it helps reduce that sort of thing then that’s got to be good.”
--- End quote ---

Not sure what Kim Harding's problem is. Changing speed limits won't do a whole lot about cyclists getting squashed by HGVs turning left. And it's got to be a two-way process - lorries being aware that cyclists might be on their inside and cyclists being aware that passing a lorry on the inside isn't necessarily a good idea.

After the Tour de France stage in London this year I visited Green Park and one of the exhibits there was to sit inside a lorry so you could see just how hard it was to spot a cyclist in many places. The lorry in question was fitted with mirrors in lots of extra positions and even so it was terrifyingly easy to not even be aware a cyclist was there. So it's hard to see how anything to warn the lorry driver that there is a cyclist in their blind spot is anything other than a good thing.

The whole issue with a blind spot is that it is, well, a blind spot. You can look as properly as you want and you still won't see it, because it's in a place you can't see. And I must admit if someone is in charge of a 40+ tonne moving vehicle I'd rather make it as easy as possible for them to know just what's around them, so they can spend as much time as possible looking at the road.

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