Edinburgh's bin lorries upgraded for cycle safety - city asks for cyclists' opinions

Heya, it's Danni (Cycle Alert). I don't really understand what is particularly controversial with Croydon's decision to use Cycle Alert as opposed to a Cyclear system. The system being used on the Edinburgh bin lorries is a left-hand audio alarm + proximity sensor package. Croydon's vehicles had already been installed with left-hand audio alarms (which we too stock) and so the need was for a proximity-type warning system only, to which it appealed to Cycle Alert. I think there is perhaps some misconception as to what a proximity sensor does as opposed to what Cycle Alert does; a proximity sensor is little more than an adapted parking sensor, bleeps at everything, gets generally ignored by the driver, dismissed as 'white noise'. There isn't a driver or a fleet operator who has advised me to the contrary; indeed there are some tech providers that have ceased stocking them altogether on account of their futility and I'm amazed that informed parties still recommend them. Still, each to their own, it's not my intention to criticise, I just wanna advise on what I've picked up about the industry. Cycle Alert doesn't give such false alerts, there are far fewer alerts but all of them are meaningful; surely that's better than a whole lot of nothing-alerts? Of course, Cycle Alert is still small and not everybody dons a tag right now, but heck you got to start somewhere and this is absolutely the right way to go in terms of replacing the current fashion for ineffectual proximity warning systems. It is not a 'silver bullet' solution, there's a lot of work to do in terms of better infrastructure and better cab design (it is worth noting though, that none of the low-cab designs I have seen have designed out the need for blind-spot reduction technology), but tech like Cycle Alert - and indeed left-hand audio alerts - can have a sizeable contribution to make.

For the sake of clarification, Cycle Alert is distributing cycle tags for free.

It dispirited me a little that Croydon Cycling Campaign made the comments that they did in the original article. Only because, when we originally presented the technology to its members, no such reservations were bought up, on the contrary there was suggestion from one member that the tech could be implemented on vehicles building the new Westfield site. And while there might have been/be a 'serious concern' from Mr. Gregory, that concern hasn't been extended to an actual conversation with Cycle Alert to discuss those concerns, even though I have suggested we do so. I've basically been ignored. I'm someone who cycles at the end of the day, the discussion is as real and important to me as it is to the Cycling Campaign.

Placing Cycle Alert to one side, I'm glad that Edinburgh are installing cycle safety tech onto their vehicles and are recognising the need to make the on-road environment safer if more people are to cycle.

Totally vbvb. Rather than train their driver properly the authorities would rather install alarms, cameras, mirrors and all that. All of which the driver will ignore as he knows the council expect him to complete a route in x minutes. As you say. Self drive can't come quick enough.

All of Sheffield's bin lorries [that I've seen] have low cabs with the large, surround windows .... anything is garbage

The next paragraph alludes to an audio warning to the driver that a cyclist is in his/her blind spot. Though if the fecker has already passed the cyist one would hope that they have seen said cyclist before performing a left hook regardless of the audio warning or not. All these warnings do is make the driver even lazier or should I say confused with all the beeps and buzzes. As the esteemed Mr Lowe points out we have an efficient system many years in the making which for reasons beyond my ken motorists fail to make use of.

Driving in my POV has deteriorated due to people's reliance on all the gizmos the modern car has installed these days. That and the shallow self entitlement of the roads motorists seem to so desperately cling on to.

Quote:

Many collisions occur when a cyclist becomes trapped between the kerb and a left-turning vehicle, so it is thought the additional warning should allow cyclists more time to keep back.

fair enough but what about if the truck has overtaken and turns left - nothing to do with the cyclist or their behaviour then... Does the system have something for the driver which says "there's a cyclist there - do not turn left, yet"?

Interesting move and welcome, though I suspect Edinburgh bin lorries' one bike death so far (100m from the bin lorry depot, left turn sideswipe right outside a primary school) was caused by the cab overtaking the bike then sideswiping, not bike running up side of slow-moving lorry. I'm for annual scary health and safety half day courses for these drivers, keep them thinking bike, indicators, mirrors etc..

Direct vision using the fast response safety system with 2.3bn years of development & testing is by far the most reliable and effective option.

Failing the direct vision option the ability to use intelligent digital CCTV to both recognise a pedestrian or a cyclist, and whether they are moving closer to the truck (or crossing a 'red-line' safety zone around the vehicle) would appear to be the most effective system around currently.

The other addition is a controller box connected to the electronic engine management systems mandated for all new trucks, which can limit engine revs, limit speeds in reverse, and with a GPS interface restrict speeds in geo-fenced areas. One Scottish Council is already using this to restrict their refuse truck speeds on a waste processing site to 15mph.

All available now - sadly Glasgow Council tells me that they select the new refuse trucks in a best value (ie cheapest deal possible) basis and most of the fleet is high cab 'dinosaur' standard rather then the low cab types which at present carry a premium because they are not yet a standard product with significant sales to bring the price down.

Private contractors who actually see the savings in staff injury claims, greater efficiency in operation, and the reduced risk of hitting people or things from the better vision, sensibly see the premium price more than recovered in other costs saved, unlike Glasgow Council....