Colm Ryder
👤 SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
Well, it will certainly make a difference to the overall...
safety of pedestrians and cyclists within the city.
I think Ger will probably agree that certainly the issue of technology on trucks needs to be improved and can be improved even more than it is at present.
There are issues with blind spots with drivers and obviously within narrow city streets and areas that are constrained.
It is a particularly difficult issue as opposed to on major motorways or roadways.
Well, it's in terms of bringing in the so-called direct vision standards for heavy goods vehicles.
And that's the important element.
It's a technology related to trucks.
Obviously, in terms of the trucks, the selling of the trucks to users of those trucks, to delivery truck users, et cetera, is what really counts.
Well, when you look at the overall issue of collisions, etc., related to pedestrians and cyclists, I mean, HEVs are certainly, they are overrepresented within those overall statistics nationally, not just in cities and towns.
But obviously, within cities and towns, that's where you get a high proportion of pedestrians and cyclists.
improving the overall technology in trucks will help to make some kind of a difference.
But look, that's an issue with all vehicle users, whether it be car drivers or truck drivers or cyclists on the road.
Unfortunately, that's something, it's human behaviour that we can't regulate for that.
But in general, as you say...
The vast majority of cyclists certainly have to be careful, and particularly because they are in a vulnerable position on the road.
And this is just borne out by statistics generally in relation to the number of people that are involved in fatal and serious injury collisions.
And of course, within cities, you're going to get more pedestrians, you're going to get more cyclists.
Therefore, drivers of HGVs, of large trucks, have to be that more particular and more careful.
And for Ger, and I know he means it well, but in terms of saying, oh, well, they can get out of the way if they see these big trucks or if they hear the audible signs on the trucks.