Cycle of uncertainty
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As an increasing number of people take up cycling, what are the implications for professional road users?
Words: Pat Hagan Following the Olympic success of Britain's track cycling team and Bradley Wiggins' victory in the Tour de France, cycling is soaring in popularity.
In London alone, cycling has doubled in the last 10 years and mayor Boris Johnson's stated goal is to see it increase four-fold in the next decade.
Who is to blame?
However, 16 cyclists were killed in the capital in 2011 —12 of them in accidents involving LGVs. Inevitably, the finger of blame instantly points at truck drivers whenever there is a fatality.
But there is also a major responsibility on cyclists to ensure they are as well-equipped and prepared to tackle Britain's congested roads as any other user, however many wheels they are on.
As cycling's resurgence continues, CM asks its operator panel members their views on whether enough is being done to ensure the risk of accidents is being kept to a minimum. • Chris Roe MD, Alert HGV Training, Leicester Roe believes there is an urgent need for a co-ordinated training scheme for cyclists. Like all operators, he says most fatalities occur when cyclists come up on the blind side of a stationary truck that is indicating left and end up crushed under the rear axle.
As a part of a training initiative his firm is involved in, cyclists were invited into a truck to see how many blind spots a driver has to deal with.
"They were amazed," says Roe. "One female cyclist was physically sick because she had not realised she had been putting herself in such danger.
"I believe they should have to wear high-vis clothing at all times. But I'm not convinced helmets should be compulsory."
Charles Burke Owner-driver, TRS Engineering, Rhonda Valley "I think the truck industry is doing more than enough on this issue," says Burke. "I was in a taxi in London recently and saw some horrendous situations where cyclists were taking their lives into their own hands and risking the lives of others too."
The ideal solution, he believes, would be a mandatory test for cyclists before they take to the road. Unfortunately, he admits, that's not likely to be acceptable at a time when drivers are being encouraged to leave their car at home and get on a bike instead.
"We need a government-funded national awareness campaign, like those we had in the 50s and 60s. If it was backed up by a series of TV adverts, it might save some lives."
John Hunt Driver, Brian Palmer Haulage, Mendlesham, Suffolk One of the things that annoys Hunt most is when cyclists insist on taking to the road when there is a designated cycle path just yards away. "This country has developed lots of cycle paths over the years. Sometimes they are part of the pavement, or the side of the road, yet many cyclists still refuse to use them."
But he believes the type of cyclist matters. "A lot of those who commute to work by bike are OK. It's what I call the 'professional cyclists' who are the danger. They want to go as fast as possible and often ride two or three abreast." He also believes that adding mirrors and sensors to trucks to improve all-round visibility is not a solution in its own right. "You can only be so observant, no matter how many mirrors you have on the truck. Instead, cyclists should be educated more about road use."
Ed Pargeter Director, EP Training, Leatherhead, Surrey This is such an important issue, says Pargeter, that his firm includes cycling awareness in its Driver CPC customer care training course.
"We show them a DVD that gives the point of view of both the driver and the cyclist. One of the main problems today is street furniture, where barriers at corners and traffic lights mean there is nowhere for the cyclist to mount the pavement in an emergency.
"We show them a very powerful clip on YouTube, in which the driver sitting in the cab can see only one cyclist in his mirrors. When he gets out and walks around the vehicle, there are 15 in his blind spots."
Paul Arthurton Owner, Paul Arthurton Transport, Norfolk Arthurton recalls a popular TV campaign that ran in the 60s and 70s called the Tufty Club, in which a cartoon squirrel called Tufty Fluffytail helped to educate children on road safety — including cycling.
"We don't have anything like that now, and I think we need to educate children when they start cycling. Few cyclists seem to realise going down the left side of a lorry is potentially life-threatening.
"We got involved in a road safety initiative recently and we wanted to take a tractor unit to a school to show the children the blind spots, but health and safety rules prevented us from doing so.
"Lorries can have all the bleepers and mirrors they want, but at some point cyclists have to accept some responsibility for their own actions."
Martin Barnes Project manager, Charles Gee and Co, East Hunstpill, Somerset Every cyclist who buys a new bike should be issued with a copy of the Highway Code, says Barnes.
And this is a man who was once knocked off his bike by a passing truck some years ago. "But it was a genuine accident," he says.
"Many cyclists put themselves in the danger zone by pulling up on the blind side of lorries. It's easy to blame the driver, but cyclists have to take some responsibility for their own safety.
"We deliver to some London sites where you have to have extra mirrors and signs all over the trucks saying 'keep clear' — and cyclists still go up the inside.
"Public awareness is the key to success, not adding more mirrors to trucks at a cost of thousands of pounds."
Panel verdict • There is an urgent need to educate cyclists on road use.
• Cyclists have no idea about the blind spots drivers must deal with.
• A mandatory test for all cyclists should be considered.
• High-vis clothing should be compulsory.
• Improving driver visibility helps, but it isn't the only solution.