Video: Trucker's scary pass of cyclist that only new laws will curb
The Road Haulage Association may want to have a look at this and then have a rethink.
Here’s a clip – another one – that underlines the pressing need for the mooted safe passing laws to be introduced.
Contrary to the date on the clip; it was record in Newcastle, Co Dublin, on Thursday.
The footage speaks for itself.
It’s daylight, the cyclist is not all over the road, there’s a continuous white line, an oncoming car, a bend ahead and even a ‘Slow’ sign by the roadside.
Yet the large HGV squeezes in between the oncoming car and the cyclist, whose presence on the road is simply ignored.
The Stayin’ Alive at 1.5 campaign – which is lobbying for the new safe passing laws – has shared the clip online.
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It says it highlights the contrast between the driving of some truckers and claims made by the Irish Road Haulage Association.
Its president Verona Murphy said recently: "Everybody would ordinarily give a cyclist 1½ metres.”
She was putting forward the argument at the time that cyclist behaviour needed to change.
Truckers say cyclists must change
The haulage association did not believe laws to force drivers to give cyclists 1-1.5 metres when passing were as important as cyclists changing their behaviour.
“Provisions in relation to cycling should be made around the safety of the cyclist from the perspective of protecting themselves; helmets, hi-vis jackets,” she said.
“Cyclists will take risks that we don’t encourage, we can’t do anything about them, the visibility from a truck is restricted.
“I think maybe cyclists should undergo a course, and to have to have passed that course, and be equally susceptible to penalty points for bad practices.”
Maybe they’ll have a look at this and have a rethink.
Co Dublin Thurs, Feb 21st, 2017
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