Cyclist Safety & Large Vehicles Dr Caroline Brown THE URBAN INSTITUTE
Most errors occurred at junctions when the truck was fully stopped Most driver errors occurred when a cyclist was overtaken Cyclists made cognitive errors about the environment & behaviour of other road users Drivers made more intentional violations
1.4 metre difference in ‘blindspot’ Variation in direct vision – front 1.4 metre difference in ‘blindspot’ -1 = visible i.e. visible when directly adjacent to the cab side
2.5 metre difference in ‘blindspot’ Variation in direct vision – nearside 2.5 metre difference in ‘blindspot’ -1 = visible i.e. visible when directly adjacent to the cab side -1 = visible i.e. visible when directly adjacent to the cab side
Removing blindspots - direct vision
Trucks fit for the urban environment Construction cabs are 33% higher with bigger blind spots Off-road (N3G) vehicles are the default configuration choice despite: 49% of operators not encountering off-road conditions 47% of operators not being unaware of the term N3G
To sum up… Rational behaviours of road users sometimes conflict Behaviour is influenced by environment & infrastructure Truck design & blind spots VERY variable Vehicle types VERY variable Levers include Fleet management (FORS & CLOCS) Driver training (Safe Urban Driving & Practical Cycle Awareness Training) Public Sector Procurement/Contracts Changes to truck design (direct vision / future truck) Changes to infrastructure