Spring is the time when many of us take out the bikes dusty during the winter. It’s healthy both for us and for our planet. However, it can also be dangerous if we do not follow the appropriate safety rules.
Dear Cyclists, don’t get us wrong. We are far from sending you only to bicycle paths. We are all equal participants in road traffic and we have the right to use the infrastructure intended for it. However we need to know each other’s specificity and limitations for this to be safe.
And one of the key limitations of a truck is precisely its so-called dead zones
WHAT IS A TRUCK’S DEAD ZONE?
The dead zone is the space in the immediate vicinity of the car that the driver cannot see. And this lack of control over it does not result from inattention or errors in driving technique – this is simply how the vehicle is constructed. Of course, the dead zone is also present in passenger cars. Due to their size and different structure, however, it is much smaller.
Of course, there are systems that are designed to reduce the dead zone. Additional mirrors or sensors are to alert the driver that something is in his blind spot. However, you should be aware that the effect of their use is only to reduce, not eliminate, the dead zone and there is still quite a large area of the vehicle’s surroundings, which the driver is not able to see at the moment.
Sounds abstract? Take a look at the British Safety Council video:
None of these cyclists were visible from the cab of the vehicle!
WHY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THIS IN THE CONTEXT OF CYCLISTS?
It is no coincidence that this text is addressed to cyclists. Due to the lack of cover, an encounter with a truck can be the most painful for them. Some of the dead zone sensors may also not respond to them due to their smaller size compared to passenger cars.
There are also habits that are completely harmless in the case of passenger cars, but repeated in the case of trucks can end in tragedy. Bicycles can pass between cars standing in line at traffic lights thanks to the fact they are small. After passing several vehicles, a cyclist often stands right next to them or in front of them (if there is room for it).
Unfortunately – very often he hits two flagship examples of the dead zone. Although it may seem unbelievable to a person who has no contact with trucks, the driver does not see what is happening 2-3 meters in front of the hood of his vehicle. While in motion it is not a big problem, when starting from traffic lights it can result in a tragedy.
You could see the situation with a bicycle standing next to a turning truck in the video.
SHOULD ONLY CYCLISTS BE CAREFUL?
Of course not. We all need to be careful and attentive on the road. Statistics show that only every third accident involving a cyclist is due to his error. At the same time, when such fatal accidents do occur, it is usually cyclists who die in them.
In the case of a dead zone, it is better not to take unnecessary risks and assume that the truck driver simply does not see us.
What about car drivers? On our blog, we wrote some time ago about the most common mistakes they make on the road.
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