Yet Another Cycling Forum

General Category => On The Road => Topic started by: hatler on 19 March, 2010, 02:43:13 pm

Title: Cyclist - Lorry interaction survey
Post by: hatler on 19 March, 2010, 02:43:13 pm
A link to this survey has just appeared in CTC's weekly newsletter.

Clicky (http://www.survey.bris.ac.uk/lsbu/cycling_other)

Seems worthwhile and only takes five minutes.
Title: Re: Cyclist - Lorry interaction survey
Post by: tatanab on 19 March, 2010, 03:28:40 pm
Completed even though it is clearly aimed at London riders.  Is lorry traffic behaviour somehow different to the rest of country or is it the riders who behave differently?
Title: Re: Cyclist - Lorry interaction survey
Post by: clarion on 19 March, 2010, 03:32:48 pm
I felt it was treating me as an imbecile, and hammering home the message that us cyclists are doing Dangerous Things.  That's not the case in any of the incidents I know about.  It's about lack of observation/giving a shit from the truck drivers, cutting corners, left-hooking, pulling alongside cyclists and expecting them to disappear from the planet.  The best road safety advice you could offer cyclists to avoid these situations is to ride Primary, and Be Seen.
Title: Re: Cyclist - Lorry interaction survey
Post by: Jaded on 19 March, 2010, 03:35:35 pm
I didn't think that at all.

I simply filled it out as I ride, which is pretty much choosing 'f' every time. Maybe squeezing up to the front of a queue of traffic at lights is a London thing. Got to be ahead, got to win. Squish.

Given it is possible to drive down a dual carriageway with a Clio attached to the front bumper of your lorry without realising it, I tend to take the view that a few seconds 'lost' by sitting behind the lorry is not so bad.
Title: Re: Cyclist - Lorry interaction survey
Post by: Karla on 19 March, 2010, 03:37:05 pm
It's about ... pulling alongside cyclists and expecting them to disappear from the planet. 

This.

I'm cautious and hang back from lorries when I'm behind them at junctions.  That doesn't stop them from pulling up beside me, a situation when I will consider jumping the lights.
Title: Re: Cyclist - Lorry interaction survey
Post by: Biggsy on 19 March, 2010, 03:38:52 pm
Many cyclists do put themselves in dangerous positions.  I see it all the time.  Not many of them will see this survey, though - which is basically preaching to the converted.
Title: Re: Cyclist - Lorry interaction survey
Post by: clarion on 19 March, 2010, 03:41:45 pm
Preaching - that's the word.  I preached back though ;D

They didn't consider factors like multiple lane junctions (there are plenty of them on my commute), bus lanes, ASLs etc, all of which make a difference to my scoring.

That said, anyone who rides past on the side a vehicle is indicating is a cock.  And there are a lot of them.
Title: Re: Cyclist - Lorry interaction survey
Post by: Notsototalnewbie on 19 March, 2010, 03:48:29 pm
I know what Clarion means. These deaths are not always about cyclists who cycle alongside lorries at traffic lights, although admittedly many do this in London, but that is what most of the questions are about. And obviously don't take into account multi-lane junctions etc.

I tend to hang back behind lorries at lights, but I've still been almost left-hooked by one and it was only the fact that I was wondering if he was about to do something stupid that saved me (I started to brake as soon as he pulled alongside, so he could get past asap - I don't like having lorries alongside me). I got to see the wheels of the lorry roll over the bit of road I would have been cycling on a few seconds later, had I not braked hard. If I'd been killed, it would have been nothing to do with the fact that I'm a woman, more the fact that the driver appeared to have his head up his @rse.
Title: Re: Cyclist - Lorry interaction survey
Post by: hatler on 19 March, 2010, 04:06:34 pm
It's about ... pulling alongside cyclists and expecting them to disappear from the planet. 

This.

I'm cautious and hang back from lorries when I'm behind them at junctions.  That doesn't stop them from pulling up beside me, a situation when I will consider jumping the lights.

When approaching lights where there are queues I always do so in primary. This way, if I do end up at a set of lights at the head of the queue no truck is going to be able to get alongside me, unless it is in another lane. If that does happen, then once the lights go green I reckon on always being able to get away quicker than a X tonne truck, where X > 7.5. I should be well clear by the time the lorry thinks about pulling any stupid stunt, other than overtaking me once any corners or junctions are dealt with.
Title: Re: Cyclist - Lorry interaction survey
Post by: hellymedic on 19 March, 2010, 04:29:15 pm
Patronising?
Slanted?
Can't be; it comes from a University.

Yeah Right!
Title: Re: Cyclist - Lorry interaction survey
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 19 March, 2010, 04:39:11 pm
When approaching lights where there are queues I always do so in primary.

What do you do if there are long tailbacks of cars moving less than 10mph? Ride at the same speed as the cars or do you pass them?
Title: Re: Cyclist - Lorry interaction survey
Post by: Regulator on 19 March, 2010, 04:39:40 pm
Patronising?
Slanted?
Can't be; it comes from a University.

Yeah Right!

And promoted by CTC...  :facepalm:
Title: Re: Cyclist - Lorry interaction survey
Post by: David Martin on 19 March, 2010, 04:55:16 pm
It looks like a poor undergraduate project...

..d
Title: Re: Cyclist - Lorry interaction survey
Post by: teethgrinder on 19 March, 2010, 04:56:51 pm
Maybe squeezing up to the front of a queue of traffic at lights is a London thing. Got to be ahead, got to win. Squish.


I don't see the logic in pushing past a great big thing that will only have to overtake me again. I don't need the stress and neither does the lorry driver. Best to sit back and chill out. 8)

Oh, and let the big truck part the waves inna Moses stylee as well as bagging yourself a windbreak. ;D
Nobody gonna mess with a truck and win.
Title: Re: Cyclist - Lorry interaction survey
Post by: hellymedic on 19 March, 2010, 05:04:53 pm
It looks like a poor undergraduate project...

..d

Could Quickquid help?  ;) ;D
Title: Re: Cyclist - Lorry interaction survey
Post by: Wendy on 19 March, 2010, 05:59:18 pm
I'm with Clarion.  It didn't cover situations involving a lorry overtaking and hooking a cyclist.
Title: Re: Cyclist - Lorry interaction survey
Post by: spindrift on 19 March, 2010, 06:17:49 pm
It doesn't even mention left hooks, the only scenario mentioned is a lorry stopped and a cyclist approaching a stationary lorry.

What has happened is a lorry overtakes a cyclist, then turns into them, killing them, the driver says "They were in my blind spot" and nothing happens. No charges. Nothing. This survey reinforces the idea that anyone who goes near an HGV is suicidal.

It's rubbish, victim-blaming.
Title: Re: Cyclist - Lorry interaction survey
Post by: gordon taylor on 19 March, 2010, 06:39:40 pm
I did the survey, and complained about their victim-blaming tone in the last box.

I don't see any academics asking pedestrian victims about their training, clothing and behaviour... >:(
Title: Re: Cyclist - Lorry interaction survey
Post by: Pedaldog. on 19 March, 2010, 09:06:32 pm
I also did the survey and moaned loudly about the bias shown in the questions.
Title: Re: Cyclist - Lorry interaction survey
Post by: hatler on 19 March, 2010, 09:19:47 pm
When approaching lights where there are queues I always do so in primary.

What do you do if there are long tailbacks of cars moving less than 10mph? Ride at the same speed as the cars or do you pass them?
If I'm in the queue and know that I have a good chance of getting through on the next phase I will stay in line. If I'm not going to get through at the next phase and the traffic is stationary I overtake and look for a suitable gap before I get to the head of the queue, but this probably doesn't involve going past an articulated truck. Too long, too many unknowns.
Title: Re: Cyclist - Lorry interaction survey
Post by: Martin on 19 March, 2010, 09:43:19 pm
the cliche helmet tick box at the end; as if that's going to make any difference;

I got fed up with filling out the various scenarios; in theory stopping in front of on the offside should have been safer but I still put f for all