Artic lorry blind spot.

[Rha]

For those who've never driven HGV articulated lorry, here's an insight I think worth mentioning. When driving this type of vehicle you have a particular blind spot after arriving at a roundabout give way line when turning right. If the artic driver tries to put any amount of left steering lock on the approach to this line his mirrors lose site of some of his trailer.(called the blind spot) If your approaching this vehicle you'll notice as you drive up along side that his vehicle isn't dead straight, this should be your warning that if you attempt to proceed up to your give way line you could be invisible to him. I taught HGV and being aware of this problem at roundabouts Im very reluctant to proceed up the inside of a artic lorry that may already be waiting at R/A if his cab is not perfectly in line with the trailer. Yes I do wait sometimes behind if smallish R/A, sometimes half way and yes I do get tooted at by other drivers who think I should go ahead up to my line even if they know when I get there I can't see to my right. The lesson here is the artic drivers should allways try and pull up straight as pos and car drivers give them plenty of room. OK!! Not allways pos if artic comes up along side you while your waiting, but at least he should have seen you and it's his turn to give you plenty of room.
Busy large R/As are danger zones as there's usually only small gaps for the HGV to get on, so be aware he'll be concentrating on the gaps rather than what's up his near side. Small R/As are even harder for them to negotiate and this is when you could likely get caught out with very little room. Me!! I'd rather get tooted at from behind than get squashed going up the inside. Usually only one or two drivers can't see why I'm not going and I'm quite prepared to get out and explain to any persistent horn blower. Not trying to teach all you grannies out there to suck eggs just thought I'd try and give some perspective on this often miss understood blind spot hazard. Look out for drivers who shut out your vision to the right at R/As and try not to do it yourself. Looks like @ZVictor 1, has been terribly unlucky, no excuse for the lorry driver, most of them now have a blind spot mirror but as with all mirrors they can get broken on route. The other blind spot worth mentioning is the one directly under the lorry passenger door but again most have that one covered too, unlucky for those car drivers that have not been taught about HGV blind spots by their L driver instructors.
When teaching car Ls I made this part of my large vehicle awareness lesson being an X- HGV instructor, not sure if it's part of the instruction these days. Cyclists need to know this info too.
Hope this has been helpful to some, think it's helped me at least twice recently.
Maybe Dave @Grumps can add some more advise, being one of our resident artic drivers.

RHA,Roy.

 

[Richard Seargent]

I’m interested in seeing what sort of field of view the new trucks that have cameras instead of wing mirrors give the driver. I’m off to YouTube now to see what’s on there about this. Gutted for @Z Victor 1 who I met last weekend, but pleased that everyone is safe.

 

[Synclare]

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[Grumps]

Good post Roy. I drive Drawbars now days so they do behave differently holding there line better but my advise is simple to all, stay well back on roundabouts giving lorries both lanes as they often creep over naturally. If you want to try and go on the inside of a wagon be prepared to pay the consequences.
Don't misunderstand me here, I hate it when I see a wagon lined up in one lane ready to enter a roundabout. That is as bad as someone trying to get through the inside. Hold back regardless and stay safe.

 

[t-tony]

Also applies to the outswing of many buses which the rear axle well forward of the rear end of the body. Talking of HGV, especially “artics” beware of of LHD trucks also at roundabouts because as they turn left onto the roundabout traffic coming from their right “disappears” from view. I experienced this many times at Carholme roundabout.

Tony.

 

[Shelly]

Great posts .......
I stay back from lorry’s etc when I’m near a roundabout, but I always seam to get honked at , but I take no notice, as I know I’m doing the right thing

 

[Redline]

Having been hit by a lorry at 60mph and dragged down the motorway for 3/4 mile, I am now very cautious of lorries In every circumstance. One island I used to use on the way to work on the A5 just north of the M1 always gave me great concern on this near side blind spot issue. Lorries often take the right hand lane and then pull to the left as they enter the island and then go straight on instead or stray left simply because of excessive speed. It simply isn’t worth the risk getting caught on either side of a big truck in tight small traffic islands.

 

[Nodzed]

I use the might is right approach and give HGVs a wide berth, especially at R'a'Bs

 

[Pingu]

Top tip for driving alongside an artic is to drive alongside the trailer wheels unless you can overtake it.

 

[Z Victor 1]

Hi, Some interesting points here, but the lorry which ran into my car wasn't a big artic, but a small car transporter consisting of the cab and one vehicle carrying section, then a second 'trailer' vehicle carrying section. Two lanes of traffic had crawled , stop start along the road to the roundabout so the driver must have known there were vehicles in the lane to his left. There was ample room for the driver to move straight forward onto the roundabout and he was on the right going right, but he simply turned left across into my car. I can only assume he was impatient to get across the roundabout and didn't check . He wasn't parked at an angle because neither he or I were actually right up to the roundabout. I guess he just decided to change lane without looking.

 

[Rha]

Feel for you Ken for it could happen to me if I couldn’t keep back out the way or get on the horn quick enough. Be aware that most HGV drivers are more considerate than this one, although he may not even have to have HGV licence to drive that setup. He’s probably never had his driving looked at since he passed his car driving test, hopefully his employer will see this and send him for assessment. But that’s another story. Chin up and we’ll chat about it some more when we meet.

Fingers crossed your Z4 is not a total.

RHA,ROY.