Nearly 3 in 4 lorries stopped by police in London don't comply with the law

Al__S wrote:

I saw a presentation from CEMEX at a Safety & Health expo last week (yes, the fun never starts). I was impressed with what was being said- other than their faith in warning stickers being part of the answer. They've got a good focus on both vehicle modification (bringing back side guards, fitting cameras and sensors as driver aids, cameras in the cabs of tipper trucks*) and on driver training- all their drivers in London have now done (and do as part of induction) a Safe Urban Driving course (which includes on-bike, on the road, sessions) and they're rolling that out nationwide. They're also one of the firms that's been investing in designing the "next generation" tipper trucks based on bin lorries, with lower level high-vision cabs- with the prototype in use and another on order (from Mercedes).

A lot of credit for CEMEX becoming one of the more responsible operators in the industry must go to Cynthia Barlow, who has done a huge amount to get them to improve their safety performance after the death of her daughter. More info: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3307660.ece

babybat wrote:

Al__S wrote:

I saw a presentation from CEMEX at a Safety & Health expo last week (yes, the fun never starts). I was impressed with what was being said- other than their faith in warning stickers being part of the answer. They've got a good focus on both vehicle modification (bringing back side guards, fitting cameras and sensors as driver aids, cameras in the cabs of tipper trucks*) and on driver training- all their drivers in London have now done (and do as part of induction) a Safe Urban Driving course (which includes on-bike, on the road, sessions) and they're rolling that out nationwide. They're also one of the firms that's been investing in designing the "next generation" tipper trucks based on bin lorries, with lower level high-vision cabs- with the prototype in use and another on order (from Mercedes).

A lot of credit for CEMEX becoming one of the more responsible operators in the industry must go to Cynthia Barlow, who has done a huge amount to get them to improve their safety performance after the death of her daughter. More info: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3307660.ece

That's a really good article. An interesting detail from the article is that Cemex fit their lorries with additional safety measures:

-Four sensors to detect cyclists within 2 metres of the truck. These create an audible alarm inside the cab and outside when a cyclist is detected during a turn
-Six mirrors to cover the blind spots
-Nearside bars to prevent cyclists being thrown underneath

Total cost? £600. Not even the cost of a new set of tyres.

danthomascyclist wrote:

babybat wrote:

Al__S wrote:

I saw a presentation from CEMEX at a Safety & Health expo last week (yes, the fun never starts). I was impressed with what was being said- other than their faith in warning stickers being part of the answer. They've got a good focus on both vehicle modification (bringing back side guards, fitting cameras and sensors as driver aids, cameras in the cabs of tipper trucks*) and on driver training- all their drivers in London have now done (and do as part of induction) a Safe Urban Driving course (which includes on-bike, on the road, sessions) and they're rolling that out nationwide. They're also one of the firms that's been investing in designing the "next generation" tipper trucks based on bin lorries, with lower level high-vision cabs- with the prototype in use and another on order (from Mercedes).

A lot of credit for CEMEX becoming one of the more responsible operators in the industry must go to Cynthia Barlow, who has done a huge amount to get them to improve their safety performance after the death of her daughter. More info: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3307660.ece

That's a really good article. An interesting detail from the article is that Cemex fit their lorries with additional safety measures:

-Four sensors to detect cyclists within 2 metres of the truck. These create an audible alarm inside the cab and outside when a cyclist is detected during a turn
-Six mirrors to cover the blind spots
-Nearside bars to prevent cyclists being thrown underneath

Total cost? £600. Not even the cost of a new set of tyres.

The responsible and well run firms with fleets of tipper trucks like CEMEX or FM Conway for instance realise there's a business case for responsible operation. In the long run, fitting safety kit and giving their truck drivers extra training saves them money and also wins them contracts on grounds of being best practice operators. If any cyclist on this website was to have a punishment pass (or similar) from a truck belonging to one of those two, it's highly likely that any complaint would be followed up by management action against the offending driver, particularly if there was video evidence.

The real problem lies with the smaller, less professionally run companies that aren't so well managed and which operate on a more hand to mouth basis, with much older fleets.

ron611087 wrote:

These reports and statistics are all hot air. In January the mayors office reported that half the HGV's stopped were non compliant.
http://www.mayorwatch.co.uk/taskforce-praised-for-clamping-down-on-unsaf...
Now the figure is raised to 75% which shows that whatever they are doing it's ineffective.

These vehicles should be pulled off the road and their operators fined heavily. Until it hits contractors and subcontractors pockets in a meaningful way nothing will happen.

*playing Devil's advocate*

Or the police are becoming more efficient/have better intelligence when targeting these vehicles.

Scoob_84 wrote:

but i guess the state of these lorries is by no means connected to cyclists deaths

Well it is and it isn't. The state of the trucks was probably not the direct cause of the fatal incidents. But the state of the trucks involved in the fatal incidents may be considered indicative of how those firms operate, with regard to hiring procedures for drivers and training.

A good rule of thumb to use when cycling (or driving) close to HGVs is to observe the general condition of the vehicle. If it is scruffy (and particularly grease stains can be seen around the rear differential showing the dirt has been there some time), then that suggests maintenance procedures are less thorough. If an HGV is recently (and regularly) washed, the firm may well have a more thorough approach to vehicle maintenance, and it will tend to have more rigorous procedures with regard to driver hiring and training too.

It is worth remembering that of those cycling fatalities involving HGVs in London, quite a number have been repeat incidents. It is also of note that looking at the trucks involved, the majority have been dirty suggesting maintenance may have been overlooked.

Not all tipper truck fleets are run by cowboys. Some firms in London do have higher standards and also require their drivers to undergo cycle training. One I know of also has several senior managers who are very keen roadies and regular sportive riders with their own team. The firm's safety record is also far better than average.

Scoob_84 wrote:

but i guess the state of these lorries is by no means connected to cyclists deaths

But it is highly indicative of the attitudes of the operators and drivers.

PaulBox wrote:

Scoob_84 wrote:

but i guess the state of these lorries is by no means connected to cyclists deaths

But it is highly indicative of the attitudes of the operators and drivers.

Yep, see my comment and AL_S's

Photo should be enough to prosecute for s.19 RTA 1988 driving & parking a vehicle over 7.5T on footway, plus s.137 HA 1980 obstructing traffic (more difficult as traffic can get around it) and its stopped on double yellow lines so a parking fine as well?