Skip lorry operator bringing direct vision vehicles to London to improve cyclists' safety

Lorries with "hi - viz" cabs were once quite common.  I remember a lot of these BMC/Austen lorries around when I was a kid.

The cab design is nothing new, it has been used on refuse lorries for quite a while as the crew needs to get in and out of the cab numerous times during the collection round. What is new is the use of the cab design on a differennt vehicle with some modifications for our benefit.

P.S. My previous comments are all the more relevant in the light of this awful verdict today:

http://road.cc/content/news/184574-family-devastated-london-lorry-driver....

Note the prosecutor's comments about the cyclist, in the final paragraph of this article:

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/janina-gehlau-lorry-driver-should-h...

Roger Geffen

CTC, the national cycling charity

Several comments have rightly asked what can now be done to make these lorry cabs the norm as quickly as possible.

That is exactly the point of CTC's 'road-map' for safer lorries, which we're asking London's mayoral candidates to sign up to.

We are also talking to HS2 Limited (the Government-owned company promoting the HS2 Rail Bill) and Highways England (formerly the Highways Agency, i.e. the Government-owned company that manages England's motorways and trunk roads) to set a preference for direct vision lorries for work on their contracts, which should in due course become a rule.

For more information, see https://www.ctc.org.uk/news/20160210-safer-lorries-cyclists.

It's a good question.

This company is based very nearby to me, and they do seem to "walk the walk" when it comes to safety, keeping their fleet well maintained, and their drivers trained. I've even seen their drivers out on bikes doing cycle-awareness training on Saturday mornings.

I don't know how frequently their skip lorries are replaced, I'll keep an eye for the first new cabs appearing and try and remember to report back.

It looks as if the cab is a little lower than 'conventional' lorries, is that right? If so, it would make it more efficient to use,  apart from being safer,  for waste collection lorries where the crew are jumping in and out every minute. That doesn't apply to skip lorries of course. 

I have made decisions on which local supplier to use based on the behaviour of their van drivers when passing me on my commute to work. I have made it clear to the suppliers when they have won business because of it and when they have lost business.

If every cyclist in North London needing a skip lorry uses these folk and insists having one of these lorries, they will soon update their fleet in line with the uplift in business.

Their competitors will soon follow. Creating a market will be quicker than waiting for central government to legislate.

It would be even better to be able to source suppliers from a bike friendly list and those to avoid.

That's great but....

(now for the splash of cold water) how long before all of their fleet is changed?

and will others follow suit?

These can't come quick enough.  

However I have definately seen these in use already.  When on my bike I was pretty much face to face with the driver which is great.  

I can't see why the truck company wouldn't spec these if they are buying new trucks anyway.  Firstly in the light of the noises being made about safer lorries it future-proofs them and second, no well-run company wants blood on its hands, its never good publicity.  

They are pretty standard here in Germany, Hanover. The local waste disposal company use the previous models since around 5 years ago. Most recent I saw a paper distribution and fire rescue using trucks with these cabs too.

Good.