Side rails have been mandatory on almost all trucks for a long time in Europe (yes even in the UK) - logging always has an exception due to the likelihood of damage and the fact they don't really operate in urban environments. Tbh, it didn't really surprise me when I found out they are not in NA, as the trucking lobby is so huge. These are simple safety standards which saves lives - some of the trucking companies which work a lot in urban environments have gone further still, installing radar embedded in the the siderails specifically to detect cyclists and pedestrians in the drivers blinds spots, giving the drivers warning, and sometimes as I understand it applying the brakes (autonomous radar, usually on the front only, braking is now compulsory on all new cars/vans/trucks in the EU and UK). Please catch up NA and save some lives.
There was a wonderful campaign a few years ago by the mother of a woman who was killed in similar incident. The mother perused the company for some time, collecting evidence of the risk of fatalities, eventually ending up on the board of the trucking company (Cemex, operating concrete trucks primarily in unban environments) as a safety advisor. Cemex is now a leader in pedestrian and cyclist safety - they went out of their way to make their trucks as safe as possible, so we can't argue its about money, it's about public responsibility as an operator.
Regarding the fact that some people think that xero risk is unachievable, possibly true, but does that mean that we shouldn't set the target at zero, and see how close we can get. Side rails are an important step in this, but so is driver training. The Fleet Operator Training Scheme (FORS) here in the UK demands that drivers spend time cycling in urban environments to let them understand the vulnerability of being on a bike in a city - a huge step and has led some serious improvements in accident records. Many of the major construction projects demand that their operators are FORS certified.
I am sorry that you have lost friends, Lloyd. Truly. But I cannot understand your rage.
Lloyd, you among most people do understand that zero Risk is unachievable. It's the old 80/20 Rule combined with the Law of Diminishing Returns that means that the last 0.001% (which is the level you're talking about) is extremely expensive.
Am I being an apologist for the trucking industry? No. I'm being a realist concerning effort and costs after having done my fair stints managing large projects and getting that last iota done sucks up a lot of time and cash.
The sad fact is that people die no matter what is done. Your zero risk post back at TH was quite the spiel that zero deaths was obtainable. I posit it's impossible because of the Law of Big Numbers as accidents DO happen regardless how much is spent on risk mitigation.
"Based on an analysis of fatal collisions in Canada, there were an average of two cyclist and approximately four pedestrian fatalities per year that occurred in collisions involving the sides of large trucks and trailers."
Of those average 6 fatalities, how many of them are related to the "classic 'right hook,' sucked under the rear wheels of a truck turning right"? Knowing how bicyclists act on urban roads—indignant—I'm guessing most of them are Darwin Award winners.
Having said that, start with the semi manufacturers and build it into new models where the cost of side rails wouldn't even be a blip on the MSRP sticker. I agree with the NHTSA, the cost involved compared to the lives saved is . . . problematic.
Such common sense legislation has no room in today's political landscape.
And I agree with you Lloyd, they should've been common place years ago. As a side benefit, back in the 90s, studies showed the trucks with side guards get better mileage, a benefit that makes sense.
Side rails have been mandatory on almost all trucks for a long time in Europe (yes even in the UK) - logging always has an exception due to the likelihood of damage and the fact they don't really operate in urban environments. Tbh, it didn't really surprise me when I found out they are not in NA, as the trucking lobby is so huge. These are simple safety standards which saves lives - some of the trucking companies which work a lot in urban environments have gone further still, installing radar embedded in the the siderails specifically to detect cyclists and pedestrians in the drivers blinds spots, giving the drivers warning, and sometimes as I understand it applying the brakes (autonomous radar, usually on the front only, braking is now compulsory on all new cars/vans/trucks in the EU and UK). Please catch up NA and save some lives.
There was a wonderful campaign a few years ago by the mother of a woman who was killed in similar incident. The mother perused the company for some time, collecting evidence of the risk of fatalities, eventually ending up on the board of the trucking company (Cemex, operating concrete trucks primarily in unban environments) as a safety advisor. Cemex is now a leader in pedestrian and cyclist safety - they went out of their way to make their trucks as safe as possible, so we can't argue its about money, it's about public responsibility as an operator.
Regarding the fact that some people think that xero risk is unachievable, possibly true, but does that mean that we shouldn't set the target at zero, and see how close we can get. Side rails are an important step in this, but so is driver training. The Fleet Operator Training Scheme (FORS) here in the UK demands that drivers spend time cycling in urban environments to let them understand the vulnerability of being on a bike in a city - a huge step and has led some serious improvements in accident records. Many of the major construction projects demand that their operators are FORS certified.
I am sorry that you have lost friends, Lloyd. Truly. But I cannot understand your rage.
Lloyd, you among most people do understand that zero Risk is unachievable. It's the old 80/20 Rule combined with the Law of Diminishing Returns that means that the last 0.001% (which is the level you're talking about) is extremely expensive.
Am I being an apologist for the trucking industry? No. I'm being a realist concerning effort and costs after having done my fair stints managing large projects and getting that last iota done sucks up a lot of time and cash.
The sad fact is that people die no matter what is done. Your zero risk post back at TH was quite the spiel that zero deaths was obtainable. I posit it's impossible because of the Law of Big Numbers as accidents DO happen regardless how much is spent on risk mitigation.
Your response?
All that said,
"Based on an analysis of fatal collisions in Canada, there were an average of two cyclist and approximately four pedestrian fatalities per year that occurred in collisions involving the sides of large trucks and trailers."
Of those average 6 fatalities, how many of them are related to the "classic 'right hook,' sucked under the rear wheels of a truck turning right"? Knowing how bicyclists act on urban roads—indignant—I'm guessing most of them are Darwin Award winners.
Having said that, start with the semi manufacturers and build it into new models where the cost of side rails wouldn't even be a blip on the MSRP sticker. I agree with the NHTSA, the cost involved compared to the lives saved is . . . problematic.
Such common sense legislation has no room in today's political landscape.
And I agree with you Lloyd, they should've been common place years ago. As a side benefit, back in the 90s, studies showed the trucks with side guards get better mileage, a benefit that makes sense.