One subject that's captured the attention of hundreds of TruckNet UK members this week has been the news that the Department for Transport's initiative for tackling side-swiping incidents in British roads has been a resounding success. According to Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick, some 40,000 window-mounted lenses (known as Fresnel lenses) have been handed out free of charge to the drivers of left-hand drive trucks as they enter the UK at Dover. Apparently, the number of side-swipe incidents involving trucks has more than halved in the south-east, and now another 90,000 will be distributed at other major English and French ports.
The initiative was met with a positive reaction from most members, including TruckNet UK community manager Rikki Chequer, who posted this comment: "I am the first to knock when they decide to spend a few million on setting up a committee to see if one-legged black lesbian whales should have a grant to become lorry drivers, but in this case I do believe they have genuinely identified a problem and addressed it in a correct manner. Tax money, for once, well spent in my opinion." But others in the debate were less enthusiastic, and one member stated that he thought the money would be better spent in educating car drivers not to sit in a truck's blind spot. He believes it should form part of the practical car-driving test, and suggests that demo facilities at motorway services would also make sense.
But this sparked further debate, with another member posting this: "I don't agree with the notion that car drivers are responsible for keeping out of the way of a supposed blind spot for one thing it's patronising in the extreme to suggest that a driver of a truck would not be aware of a supposed blind spot and not take appropriate measures themselves. Secondly, if it's become the accepted practice for car drivers to take responsibility for the actions of a truck driver, then we have reached a new low in the standards of truck driving."
Another hot topic this week has been speed limiters, and what the UK's roads were like before the days of 56mph. There are some great comments from senior members, who recall frightening speeds being clocked up by trucks that have long since been confined to the scrapyard. "I had a driver done for 79mph fully freighted (38 ton) in an Iveco 220.38 on the M6," admitted one member, "I know cos I saw the ticket!" Another member posted: "I think the Mercs and ERFs had the best 'gearing' for high speeds 80mph+. If you take the limiter off these days the 'gearing' is all wrong - as they are designed for lower speeds."
And on the subject of nostalgia, there's no shortage of amazing photos on the "Old-time lorries, companies and drivers" forum. As usual any thread that mentions Middle East hauliers or the cult 1970s TV documentary 'Destination Doha' gets plenty of hits.
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