New HGV downlighters could illuminate blind spots for cyclists

The truck isn’t worried about its safety, so quit putting the onus on your victims and stop driving where you can’t see.

Interesting comments here but many people seem to be relying on the vehicle owners and vehicles for there safety!

Well how about taking responsibility for your own safety by not putting yourself in harms way. Always assume that the vehicle driver cannot see you, will not stop and yes they will pull out in front of you (SMIDSY event).

There are some tragic events out there but the blame has to be shouldered by everyone not just the driver. We all know that lorries are dangerous so why do some cyclists insist on still cutting down the sides of lorries and put themselves at risk?

Always be aware of the rule of gross tonnage and materials 90kg of bike and rider is always going to lose against 1500kg (plus) of rubber, plastic and metals.

Yes it may well be your right of way but if the twat does pull out its going to be you in the road bleeding or dead not them.

I know there needs to be improvements in HGV cycle safety but it will not happen overnight and until it does, accept it folks your safety rests on YOU nobody else.

And don't get me started on punishment overtaking and being cut up, now we are going down the road of attempted murder and each case with or without injury should be treated as such.

Be careful out there look after yourselves because nobody else will.

Any help is good help!

The drivers' comments that the lights help them manoeuvre in yards and depots indicate they are a safety bonus, as those are actually AIUI the situations where most HGV accidents happen. But for indicating to cyclists where the blind spots are? I don't think that's terribly beneficial. It's best to assume the whole side and rear is a blind spot. Even if you are not in a blind spot, you can't make the driver look in his mirrors (though I get the impression most do; certainly I often see cyclists squeezing themselves down between lorry and kerb, then the lights change and — thankfuly — see the driver's head move mirror to mirror before the moves off). Besides, there's always risk compensation to consider. Cyclists who are already riding into those gaps might think this makes it ok.

Nevertheless, a good gadget overall, just not particularly relevant to cyclists.

I'll applaud the intention behind this - as with other similar ideas, it might help and if it just makes the driver think twice and look properly it just might save someone.

However, I can't help thinking that it's something else that responsible hauliers will fit to their trucks, costing them money, while the more 'fast and loose' don't bother and continue to be a menace.

Quite disturbed by this though:

“Now you can see the trailers when it’s wet even though the mirrors are all misted up with the rain,

Really? Are you telling me trucks don't have heated mirrors? It would seem a ridiculously simple solution...

Les Owen, compliance consultant at Licence Bureau, said: "Surely it is obvious that the cost of a crash makes it sensible to consider fitting some of the safety technology items."

Surely it is horrifically obvious that in most instances the cost of the crash is zero to the driver and the haulier, and entirely - sometimes fatally - borne by the cyclist.

Instead of illuminating the blind spots why don't they spend some money on eliminating them?

Despite my critical comments above, Internet Pawn: actually most cyclist deaths where there are lorries are at slowish speeds. When turning it wouldn't surprise me if thy occurred at around the 15 kph mark.

Not sure these lights will help a lorry driver be any more attentive after a 14hr shift.

There's little point to them if they only work below 15 kph. I imagine most collisions involving turning lorries are at speeds higher than that.

In daylight hours? There are other technologies to be used first: closing down gap between vehicle body and tarmac (either retro-fitted or on new lorries); lower cabs on new lorries; transparent doors on new lorries or to be retro-fitted; infra-red sensors; black box devices to establish what driver was doing before incident. The engineering the highway to keep lorries away from cyclists and pedestrians. Don't forget enforcing existing laws, not having operators hiring dodgy drivers with histories of driving offences.

To see a summary of what is required, along with history of how manufacturers have not done what they could/should have done for cyclists and pedestrians, see end part of this post http://rdrf.org.uk/2015/03/02/update-cyclists-stay-back-stickers-and-hgv...

Most road safety improvements only achieve mass take ups when they're legislated for. Until the government forces them to do it, the majority won't

Shocking stats about the low levels of investment in safety technology. HGV's are responsible for more than 50% of cyclist deaths yet they don't seem to take their responsibilities at all seriously.

Nicely illuminates most cycle lanes and ASLs as well. thoughtful