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Thread: Bloody Lorry drivers

  1. #41
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    Re: Bloody Lorry drivers

    I think the Rail industry and the airline industry use a similar but different method to evaluate the efficacy of actioning a safety improvement.
    In their calculation they put a much higher value on a life saved. eg, hundreds of millions of GB pounds per life.

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    Registered User Tessalicious's Avatar
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    Re: Bloody Lorry drivers

    Quote Originally Posted by SteveK View Post
    The HSE values a human life at around £1,336,800.
    Awww, that would have been so much cooler if they'd rounded it up to £ 1337 000 [/geek mode]

  3. #43
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    Re: Bloody Lorry drivers

    Quote Originally Posted by Barry Shnikov View Post
    You only have to look at how many left hand drive lorries there are on our roads to conclude that a great deal of cargo is being transported directly from one or other european country to a UK destination. There are not enough HGVs in this country to collect all that cargo and bring it back to the UK destinations (and in any case if we ban l/h drives you can bet that there will be retaliation from other countries). If the European hauliers have to bring the stuff to the european coast and unload onto UK trucks, or cross the channel and then load onto UK trucks, a) we have the same problem - there won't be enough UK trucks, and b) there will be handling costs.
    Swapping lorry trailers probably isn't that huge an operation. However even it is it would encourage the sending of trailers by rail far nearer the final destination, with commensurate benefits in terms of pollution, aside from safety improvements with less lorry milage.

    Fitting proximity warnings and cameras apart from mirrors to big lorries, shouldn't be hugely costly, if mandated (so big production runs).

  4. #44
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    Re: Bloody Lorry drivers

    Quote Originally Posted by Twirly View Post
    True, but if it's worse on left hand drive lorries, then something could be done about that which might help save a few lives and limbs... just because there is a problem elsewhere is not a reason to do nothing about it.
    never suggested not doing anything about it....just pointed out that it's not just a left hand drive problem.......
    Bigger problem is people who drive too close......if you are behind a lorry, and you can't see his mirrors, then he can't see you...

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    Re: Bloody Lorry drivers

    Quote Originally Posted by Dance Demon View Post
    ......if you are behind a lorry, and you can't see his mirrors, then he can't see you...
    I'm going to be pedantic (again) and point out that in my opinion this is not necessarily true. Unless you means your eyes and not your vehicle.

  6. #46
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    Re: Bloody Lorry drivers

    Quote Originally Posted by Dance Demon View Post
    never suggested not doing anything about it....just pointed out that it's not just a left hand drive problem.......
    Bigger problem is people who drive too close......if you are behind a lorry, and you can't see his mirrors, then he can't see you...
    I completely agree...I had a great driving instructor who taught me (less than two years ago) that BIG things can't see little things if they're too close. I keep my distance.

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    Registered User SteveK's Avatar
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    Re: Bloody Lorry drivers

    Quote Originally Posted by dep View Post
    I think the Rail industry and the airline industry use a similar but different method to evaluate the efficacy of actioning a safety improvement.
    In their calculation they put a much higher value on a life saved. eg, hundreds of millions of GB pounds per life.
    Sorry, but Railtrack (or whatever it's called now) definitely doesn't value a life that highly. It's of the order of the same amount (between 1 & 2 million pounds) that the Highways Agency uses. I'm interested in this as I occasionally get involved with cost/benefit analyses at work; what different method do you understand the airline industry uses?

    (reference http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/n...04/0304532.pdf)

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    Re: Bloody Lorry drivers

    Quote Originally Posted by frodo View Post
    Swapping lorry trailers probably isn't that huge an operation.
    Isn't it far more likely to be a transfer of a container? The problem comes, however, with things like refrigerated containers. The owner of the tractor is likely to be the owner of the trailer, and there will be no swaps or transfers. Goods will have to unshipped and shipped.
    However even it is it would encourage the sending of trailers by rail far nearer the final destination, with commensurate benefits in terms of pollution, aside from safety improvements with less lorry milage.
    Interestingly, I listened to an R4 item about Eddie Stobart turning to rail as a cheaper alternative to road; they already have a weekly run from some city to some other city equivalent to 33 truck loads but costing considerably less than the equivalent number of trucks. The ES guy said they were rolling out 2 or 3 new rail routes within weeks.

    However, some time ago I saw a debate on TV in which it was said that transferring 30% of road cargo onto rail would involve a threefold increase in rail movements (or figures very similar to that), and that the rail was hopelessly inadequate to take over from road as the main haulage infrastructure for the UK. (Several years ago, in fact; road haulage figures have probably gone up since then.)

    Fitting proximity warnings and cameras apart from mirrors to big lorries, shouldn't be hugely costly, if mandated (so big production runs).
    Good point.

    It must have been jolly unpleasant for Trouble, but it seems to me that a bigger problem is the large number of uninsured, unlicensed and even untested drivers that are on our roads in their thousands.

    Saw something last night in which a driver, his lady passenger (girlfriend?) and five children were turfed out of a small family car by a bobby. He pulled them for overloading the car and inadequate seating provision for the kids - not a booster seat etc in sight, kids sitting on other kid's laps - but when he checked, Dad (if that's who he was) had no insurance. So the car was seized and they walked to the local railway station.

  9. #49
    Registered User Twirly's Avatar
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    Re: Bloody Lorry drivers

    Quote Originally Posted by Barry Shnikov View Post
    However, some time ago I saw a debate on TV in which it was said that transferring 30% of road cargo onto rail would involve a threefold increase in rail movements (or figures very similar to that), and that the rail was hopelessly inadequate to take over from road as the main haulage infrastructure for the UK. (Several years ago, in fact; road haulage figures have probably gone up since then.)
    Interesting. I wonder, with the pressure to cut carbon emissions, could the government be persuaded to consider investment in the railways to bring this about? Could industry be persuaded to help foot the bill? Extra/restored railways could also be used to transport passengers too, thus cutting private road use. Trouble is, it's a long-term solution, which with our governments' relatively short term of office, I'd guess is not going to appeal so much. They need quick fixes, whereas the environment needs a longer-term approach/investment. Ho hum.

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    Re: Bloody Lorry drivers

    Quote Originally Posted by Twirly View Post
    Interesting. I wonder, with the pressure to cut carbon emissions, could the government be persuaded to consider investment in the railways to bring this about? Could industry be persuaded to help foot the bill? Extra/restored railways could also be used to transport passengers too, thus cutting private road use. Trouble is, it's a long-term solution, which with our governments' relatively short term of office, I'd guess is not going to appeal so much. They need quick fixes, whereas the environment needs a longer-term approach/investment. Ho hum.
    Sack Dr Beeching.
    too late, his 50s report was implemented in the 60s

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