At the meeting of Southwark Cyclists last night a member of the Met police distributed a leaflet that included what HGV company Cemex was doing to improve safety for other road users. Their vehicles are fitted with six mirrors and we were told that few vehicle operators can have done more to address the issue of cyclist safety. Nevertheless, even with six mirrors, the vehicle still has blind spots -- you can be cycling past the lorry and be visible one second, and invisible the next.
The messages are clear:
1. If you are undertaking or overtaking any vehicle, assume the driver has not seen you.
2. If a lorry overtakes you, you cannot assume the driver has actually seen you -- they may not be paying attention.
3. There does not seem much you can do if a lorry overtakes you and then turns into you, but you will stay a lot safer if you always try and anticipate that possibility, and act accordingly.
4. If you try and anticipate the unexpected, assume nothing, and make your intentions clear to other road users, you can avoid 99% of problems.
Sorry if I anyone thinks I am stating the obvious.
Here is a true event -- it just so happens that I was on a bus last night in Tooley Street near London Bridge station at about 6.15pm when a male rider tried to undertake the bus and fell onto the pavement right beside me. I hope he is reading this. I was not aware of the bus changing its position relative to the curb, but that is not the point. The cyclist was not hurt and got back on his bike. He glared at the driver as he rode past, no doubt thinking none of this was his fault. It’s no good trying to apportion blame if you're dead or injured -- it's too late.
It is not as dangerous out there as people make out, you just have to ACT SENSIBLY.
By the way, you missed ice cream, strawberries, chips and dips at the meeting of Southwark Cyclists last night. And the meeting itself was jolly good too.
Regards
Colin
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