Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

National tool hire firm to remove cyclist warning stickers from its cars

HSS Hire responds quickly to criticism on Twitter

A national tool hire firm has undertaken to remove stickers warning cyclists not to pass its Vauxhall Corsa cars on the inside by the new year after their appropriateness was questioned on social media.

HSS Hire said on 18 December it would remove the stickers just four hours after being contacted by Twitter user @beztweets, who is also a columnist for the mountain bike magazine and website, Singletrack World.

The company, which has more than 300 branches throughout the UK and Ireland, told him: “You've kept us busy today – good news is we'll be removing the stickers on our Corsa cars from next week. Merry Christmas!”

In June 2014, Transport for London (TfL) bowed to pressure from organisations including CTC and RoadPeace to ask businesses belonging to the Fleet Operators Recognition Scheme (FORS) to remove ‘Cyclists Stay Back’ stickers – described as “offensive” by the London Cycling Campaign – from their vehicles.

> TfL agrees to scrap ‘Cyclists Stay Back’ stickers

The wording on the HSS Hire stickers differed, and is similar to that used on a number of vehicles including some construction lorries, buses, and even vans used to transport prisoners.

It said: “Cyclists. Beware of passing this vehicle on the inside.”

They are sold by organisations including the Road Haulage Association and seem primarily intended – although without saying so explicitly – to warn cyclists of large vehicles’ blind spots.

Their use on smaller vehicles has attracted criticism on social media in the past, with some maintaining that they seek to shift the blame in the event of a collision onto the rider.

> Storm over Europcar warning stickers

After HSS Hire confirmed it would be removing the stickers by the end of the year, Bez said, “Thanks for this. Much appreciated,” and asked, “Was that a change that was already planned, or a rapid decision? (Good stuff either way.)”

The company replied: “A rapid decision today. We're all about delighting customers here and that includes any customers on two wheels!”

Don’t forget you can buy “Cyclists Stay Awesome” t-shirts, stickers and bells from the road.cc shop.

http://shop.road.cc/

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

Add new comment

14 comments

Avatar
don simon fbpe | 8 years ago
2 likes

Feel free to tweet them @HSSHireGroup and show them that we, as cyclists, are grateful for this move and that it can generate an interweb positive feeling and be a demonstration to others.

Happy New Year.

Avatar
ron611087 | 8 years ago
4 likes

There's an implicit "I have priority over you" built into those stickers.

Filtering on the left, whilst should be done with caution,  is legitimate.

For motorists who think otherwise:

HW Code rule 151 wrote:

be aware of cyclists and motorcyclists who may be passing on either side

Avatar
don simon fbpe | 8 years ago
4 likes

On a slight tangent, I worked for HSS as a driver many years ago.

On a delivery, along with another driver, we came across an accident. We had radios in the cars and took charge of controlling traffic while talking to our branch to call for ambulances and police. long story short, I got back to the branch and the transport manager got filled in with the details and there were pats on the back all round except the one fly in the ointment which was an area manager who'd been listening to the whole incedent on his radio and only asked whether our company vehicles were damaged!!! I wonder whether it was this twat who thought these stickers were a good idea...

Otherwise it's a great company.

Avatar
SteppenHerring | 8 years ago
2 likes

All good points above (apart from the bad ones).

However, for the 107th time, take a look at where the cycle lanes/ASLs are and take a look at where the blind spots are on large vehicles (not Corsas). Cycle lanes and feeder lanes to ASLs encourage cyclists to be exactly in the worst place. For us experienced people, well we ignore that, take a strong primary early and make sure we're not left-hooked. For someone new to cycling and less confident, they may follow the blue/green/red paint into the path of danger. 

BTW: The "beware of passing this vehicle on the left" signs are at least useful advice. The "Cyclists stay back" signs are just bloody rude.

Avatar
mrmo | 8 years ago
6 likes

So how big are the blind spots for a Corsa? If they are so big should they even be on the roads? 

Should we just accept might is right and scrap the current road legislation? 

 

Just another eaxmple of victim blaming and avoiding dealing with issues, why do cyclists wear helmets? why wear hi-viz? why ride on the pavement etc. 

Start looking at why so many drivers speed, use mobile phones, jump lights, illegally park, etc etc. Actions that do endanger people, but due to priorities are not dealt with. 

Avatar
Bez | 8 years ago
11 likes

Regardless of your opinions about the merits of passing on the nearside, I feel compelled to point out that the Venn diagram of "people in favour of these stickers on tiny vehicles with windows" and "people complaining about bloody cyclists constantly passing vehicles on the nearside" resembles something close to a single circle, populated by people who haven't realised that the implication of this is that the behaviour of absolutely no-one on a bicycle is influenced by these stickers.

They are not preventative at all. They are part of a gradual but significant social shifting of blame.

Avatar
KiwiMike | 8 years ago
3 likes

BEFORE YOU POST, THINK:

Is what you are about to type in any way condoning or even remotely appreciative of the slightest possibility that in some miniscule way stickers such as these just might be A Good Thing? Even if they save Just One Life?

In which case, pour yourself a stiff drink, go for a looooong ride / run / whatever, and pull yourself together.

 

Then don't say a word.

Avatar
Pete B | 8 years ago
0 likes

I exercise caution when passing any vehicle on the inside near a junction where it may  turn left. If it is indicating to turn left I don’t pass on the inside unless it is stationary and I am 100% certain it won’t turn until I have passed it. Depending on the road and circumstances at the time I tend to favour filtering on the outside of traffic queues.

So like rnick I personally don’t have a problem with the signs on the back on vehicles reminding cyclists to take care when passing on the inside. 

Avatar
rnick | 8 years ago
1 like

It's really not about blame but prevention, so if a sticker makes someone think twice before taking the inside line and reducing the risk of an accident then it's no big deal so ironically the media campaign might actaully have an adverse effect.  I'm always amazed by the number of riders squeezing down the inside line of moving traffic at junctions.

Avatar
KiwiMike replied to rnick | 8 years ago
7 likes
rnick wrote:

It's really not about blame but prevention

 

Wrong. It's totally about blame, and SFA about prevention. Read the linked articles. That's why TfL & others have backtracked their support for these stickers.

Avatar
Grizzerly | 8 years ago
3 likes

Just a thought...

If a vehicle with such a sticker 'left hooks' a cyclist who has passed on the inside,  then the driver must be at fault, as the sticker confirms awareness of the hazard. 

What does anyone else think?

Avatar
tonyleatham replied to Grizzerly | 8 years ago
2 likes
Grizzerly wrote:

Just a thought...

If a vehicle with such a sticker 'left hooks' a cyclist who has passed on the inside,  then the driver must be at fault, as the sticker confirms awareness of the hazard. 

What does anyone else think?

I think a cyclist who passes on the inside knowing that there's potential for either a blind spot or a numpty driver must share the blame.

All road users need to exercise appropriate caution to keep themselves and others safe.

Avatar
Fifth Gear replied to tonyleatham | 8 years ago
2 likes
tonyleatham wrote:
Grizzerly wrote:

Just a thought...

If a vehicle with such a sticker 'left hooks' a cyclist who has passed on the inside,  then the driver must be at fault, as the sticker confirms awareness of the hazard. 

What does anyone else think?

I think a cyclist who passes on the inside knowing that there's potential for either a blind spot or a numpty driver must share the blame.

All road users need to exercise appropriate caution to keep themselves and others safe.

 

A nice bit of victim-blaming to go with those stickers.

Avatar
FluffyKittenofT... replied to Fifth Gear | 8 years ago
1 like
Fifth Gear wrote:
tonyleatham wrote:
Grizzerly wrote:

Just a thought...

If a vehicle with such a sticker 'left hooks' a cyclist who has passed on the inside,  then the driver must be at fault, as the sticker confirms awareness of the hazard. 

What does anyone else think?

I think a cyclist who passes on the inside knowing that there's potential for either a blind spot or a numpty driver must share the blame.

All road users need to exercise appropriate caution to keep themselves and others safe.

 

A nice bit of victim-blaming to go with those stickers.

Serious weasel-wording, as well. "Themselves and others" indeed!

Carefully crafted to pretend its a 'two-way-street' where cyclists need to 'keep other safe', and as if endangering others is somehow equivalent to not doing extra work just to try and compensate for others endangering you.

The same 'share the blame' logic could be applied to any crime or bad behaviour. Street assualts? The stabbed and the stabber must 'share the blame', as, after all, the stabbed chose to go outdoors. And to not wear a stab-proof vest!

There's no justification for these stickers on small vehicles, its just an attempt to shift responsibility onto potential victims (but fair play to the company for very quickly acccepting that).

Latest Comments