My sympathy and congratulations on surviving!
(I have been hit by nine motor vehicles in the US since coming here
from the UK).
Dave Wilson
David Gordon (Dave) Wilson
MIT room 3-256, 77 Massachusetts Ave.
CAMBRIDGE, MA 02139-4307, USA
Phone: 617 253 5121;
Email: [log in to unmask]; OR
21 Winthrop Street WINCHESTER MA 01890-2851, USA; Ph.: 781 729 2203;
Email: [log in to unmask]
On Mon, Sep 14, 2015 at 6:21 PM, Simon P J Batterbury
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> This is slightly raw since I am hospital after being hit on wednesday by an HGV doing 60km/h. Miraculously, after spinning through the air (the bike was destroyed under the wheels), I came out with broken ribs, delated lung, concussion and a broken leg. The accident circumstances were different ( I was at 90 degrees to the truck) and what saved me was wearing a backpack with a load of university papers and a laptop - these cushioned the blow and broke ribs , instead of worse. Doesn't safety advice say not to wear a backpack and to use panniers? I could have been dead or paralysed without it.
> The Lifesaver issue seems to ring true . also scannign the forward field of vision - that would have helped in my case.
> I am writing a cathartic blog posting and will post it, now that i am enjoying a painful but unexpected second lease of life.
>
> Dr. Simon Batterbury | Associate Professor, Environmental Studies| Dept. of Geography | 221 Bouverie St (rm L2.33) | University of Melbourne, 3010 VIC,
> +61 (0)3 8344 9319 | simonpjb @ unimelb.edu.au | http://www.simonbatterbury.net
>
> ________________________________________
> From: Cycling and Society Research Group discussion list [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Dave Holladay [[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Tuesday, 15 September 2015 7:59 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: CSRG Manchester - Manchester new tram tracks / HGV fatals
>
> I've a meeting in Barnsley on Wednesday, and would like to drop by en
> route to catch up if that's OK.
>
> Would like to see how we can tie in some known detail which seems to
> correlate and point to further research.
>
> 1) at least 80% of HGV-cycle fatal crashes in London are initiated by an
> impact between the front nearside quarter of the HGV and the rear
> offside quarter of the cycle.
>
> 2) immediately prior to an impact in this area the cyclist will be in
> the position of least visibility from the driving position - viz masked
> by the nearside A pillar, (ironically) the cluster of external mirrors
> placed to remove the blind spots across the front and down to the rear
> and side of the truck, and the entire solid panelled front nearside
> corner and door of the truck.
>
> 3) there are indications that the cyclists are also unaware of the
> approaching truck because they do not maintain good all round
> observation by both aural and visual checks, especially the rearward
> over the right shoulder visual check, which is known by motorcyclists as
> the Lifesaver - which pretty bluntly tells you why you need to keep
> doing this in busy traffic.
>
> 4) 10 years ago a robust 5000 response survey of cyclists clearly
> highlighted 2 points
> i) female respondents answered that they
|