Gardaí are urging cyclists, pedestrians and drivers to be aware of the significant blind spots around HGVs on the roads.
Last year, 24 road users lost their lives due to a collision with a truck in Irish towns and cities.
Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) are an integral part of our society. In 2017, HGVs transported 147.2 million tonnes of goods around Ireland. They are vital to our economy, however due to their size and design, they pose a very real danger to pedestrians and cyclists.
Some lorries have blind spots that can mask a cyclist or pedestrian from the view of the driver.
Demonstrations recently carried out by the Road Safety Authority and An Garda Síochána have shown that a pedestrian in front of a high cab truck cannot be seen by the driver up to six meters from the front of the truck. On the nearside of a truck, a cyclist can be completely obscured from the driver’s view, unseen in any of the mirrors.
“This is a very real issue,” gardaí said in this week’s Crimecall programme on RTE.
They issued the following advice for greater road safety around HGVs:
- When crossing the road, use a designated crossing location such as a light controlled or zebra crossing.
- Never cross the road between traffic, especially in front of a truck
- When cycling, wear high visibility clothing and a helmet.
- Never cycle alongside a truck if there is a junction ahead.
- If you have to overtake a truck, do so as fast as possible, minimising the amount of time you spend in the blind spot.
- When stopped at a junction, do not wait alongside a truck. Proceed into the cycle box or wait behind.
- Take up a safe road position when in motion. Use correct hand signals.
