Cycle Superhighway 7 has given us the UK's first glance of Trixi mirrors, installed to give drivers of large vehicles a view over their blind spot - the corridor down their left where cyclists become as invisible as me trying to get served at the bar.
They are named after Beatrix Willburger, a Swiss girl killed by a lorry turning left. Her father has since promoted the use of the mirrors at junctions.
There were 31 of the mirrors on the two Cycle Superhighways for the launch last week, with 37 ultimately being trialled in London over the next six months. This is the one on CS7 by Clapham Common.
The mirror technology needs some tweaking. I could only see someone who looked like me, only older. And more bulbous. I wouldn't serve him at a bar.
For all our sakes I hope they are a success. But I'm curious about the logic here. The risk of killing a cyclist and prevention of that risk rests with the driver and owner of the lorry. If the lorry is fitted with the full standard mirrors and sensors (£250 per truck) then the risk is reduced, but at a cost to the owner. The mirrors come out of our taxes. Shouldn't the cost burden be borne by the lorry owners, not us?
ReplyDeleteAdam
I agree Adam, but I think this is more reliable...
ReplyDeleteThis is a sensible idea.
I had no idea that's where the name came from. I like them even more now.
ReplyDeleteNow we just need something to stop lorries rolling over. Training wheels, perhaps? They'd stick out and stop people undertaking, but then again they'd effectively sweep people out of cycle lanes too. Hmm. More thought required.
Hope they work. Cars already have mirrors and good visibilty but if the driver doesn't look then they're not much use, as I found out by being thrown over the bonnet of a car that overtook and turned left on me and also being thrown across the pavement by a taxi that suddenly decided to pull over without looking to his side.
ReplyDeleteI hope drivers of LGVs do look at these mirrors and that they work.
Nice, thanks. Presumably they depend on the truck stopping in exactly the right spot? hopefully not in the ASL.
ReplyDeleteBy the way I am surprised at the fact that parking cars is permissible in the bike superhighway.
ReplyDeleteSurely this is not going to be the case permanently??
Did nobody think about this? or are they all goons??
Jamie, there's a reason they're called superficial highways...
ReplyDeleteTrixi wasn't killed and she's German, not Swiss.
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