Cycling in Melbourne Australia
B-triple trucks a menace to cyclists on four routes into Melbourne
THE ROAD MONSTERS ARE COMING
By Alan A. Parker, People for Ecologically Sustainable Transport.
My scale drawing shows 13 bicyclists along side a standard 35 metre long B-Triple.. A lot of drivers in small cars will find passing B-Triples scary and for cyclists it is the equivalent of a terrorist attack. It would be fair to say that B-triples entering Melbourne along four routes is a blatant disregard of cyclists legal rights to use the road. Worse still our Minister for Roads, at the last COAG meeting of transport ministers, agreed to introduce these B-Triple routes.
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My scale drawing shows a standard 35 metre long B-Triple. but in some other states they are even bigger being 1.5 metres longer and weighing up to 82.5 tonnes. They will be allowed into Victoria by a Minister and Premier who say nice things about encouraging bicycle use to reduce CO2 emissions and keep people healthy.
Another problem with B-Triples is cornering; the swept path or tracking is wider than for other vehicles. If the driver is distracted with other traffic and does not see the cyclist being past , the cyclist could be swept under the wheels. Indeed, the rear trailer could mount the kerb and wipe out a pedestrian waiting to cross the road. Bicyclists have always found trucks intimidating and women cyclists find them especially so. Imagine how much worse it will be with this B-triple. Bureaucrats obsessed with truck technology should not forget that they have a legal duty of care in regard to other road users.
Common sense tells us that there has to be a maximum size limit on the vehicles that freely mix everyday with other vehicles on designated major roads. In the region, within 100 km of Melbourne, there are over a million people who drive or ride small vehicles who have a legitimate right to feel safe on the road, no matter what the direct cost savings. To introduce B-triple road trains in or around large cities is saying to the vulnerable road users driving or riding small vehicles that the law of the economic rationalist jungle prevails and that the biggest vehicles and those who profit from them can rule the road with an iron fist.
Our major cities and their regional hinterlands are so different from the almost empty outback where dire economic necessity requires that road trains and B-Triples be used and the few people who live there choose to put up with them because they are vital to the outback economy....
THE NEED FOR SIDE UNDERRUN PANELS ON ALL Trucks
Large trucks do not have to run into cyclist s to kill to them. When there are wind gusts and strong cross winds the slipstream moves sideways in response and can suck or blow a cyclist under the wheels of a following vehicle or a roadside object. The bigger and faster the truck the greater the risk. The number of motorcyclists killed as a result of losing control in air turbulence after passing fast trucks and B-doubles coming in the other direction has never been counted. However motorcycling organisations know that this is a safety problem and that over the last 10 years this has killed more than a few people
Cyclists already have to share the roads with B-doubles; it is no longer a matter of choice and there is already a danger of cyclists , pedestrians and motorcyclists going under the wheels of B-double trailers. There is practical cure to reduce the potential for injury and death; the fitting of side under run panels has been standard practice on all trucks in the UK and Scandinavia for around 30 years and has saved many live. It should be standard practice to fit side under run panels between the wheels of all trucks in Australia.
The National Transport Commission (NTC) and agencies like Vicroads and the RACV know that side under run panels are world best practice but they pander to the needs of the road and trucking lobbies. Before common sense prevails we will probably have to wait until one of these B-triple monsters runs out of control down a hill over dozens of cars, decapitating the occupants, or for a collision with a bus that kills every one because the 80 tonne load mangles the whole bus.
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Photograph of Rigid truck with side under run panels .
The Rudd Government is taking the reduction of CO2 emissions seriously but the NTC has failed to even mention in reports of road freight that the International Energy Agency has been producing pamphlets since 1991 showing how side under run panels and other forms of streamlining can reduce aerodynamic drag and greatly reduce CO2 emissions. The biggest reduction in CO2 emissions will come from making the rail freight system more efficient and able to carry more non-bulk rail freight. The place for big loads is on real trains on rail racks.
Some Australian road ministers have been discussing a 45 metre long 100 tonne B-Quadruple and one state government has already asked the Commonwealth for more freeway widening funds to enable it to be used
Now is the time for the pedestrian, bicycle and motor cycle associations to say they will not tolerate B-Triple trucks in or near our cities.
By Alan A. Parker, People for Ecologically Sustainable Transport.
My scale drawing shows 13 bicyclists along side a standard 35 metre long B-Triple.. A lot of drivers in small cars will find passing B-Triples scary and for cyclists it is the equivalent of a terrorist attack. It would be fair to say that B-triples entering Melbourne along four routes is a blatant disregard of cyclists legal rights to use the road. Worse still our Minister for Roads, at the last COAG meeting of transport ministers, agreed to introduce these B-Triple routes.
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My scale drawing shows a standard 35 metre long B-Triple. but in some other states they are even bigger being 1.5 metres longer and weighing up to 82.5 tonnes. They will be allowed into Victoria by a Minister and Premier who say nice things about encouraging bicycle use to reduce CO2 emissions and keep people healthy.
Another problem with B-Triples is cornering; the swept path or tracking is wider than for other vehicles. If the driver is distracted with other traffic and does not see the cyclist being past , the cyclist could be swept under the wheels. Indeed, the rear trailer could mount the kerb and wipe out a pedestrian waiting to cross the road. Bicyclists have always found trucks intimidating and women cyclists find them especially so. Imagine how much worse it will be with this B-triple. Bureaucrats obsessed with truck technology should not forget that they have a legal duty of care in regard to other road users.
Common sense tells us that there has to be a maximum size limit on the vehicles that freely mix everyday with other vehicles on designated major roads. In the region, within 100 km of Melbourne, there are over a million people who drive or ride small vehicles who have a legitimate right to feel safe on the road, no matter what the direct cost savings. To introduce B-triple road trains in or around large cities is saying to the vulnerable road users driving or riding small vehicles that the law of the economic rationalist jungle prevails and that the biggest vehicles and those who profit from them can rule the road with an iron fist.
Our major cities and their regional hinterlands are so different from the almost empty outback where dire economic necessity requires that road trains and B-Triples be used and the few people who live there choose to put up with them because they are vital to the outback economy....
THE NEED FOR SIDE UNDERRUN PANELS ON ALL Trucks
Large trucks do not have to run into cyclist s to kill to them. When there are wind gusts and strong cross winds the slipstream moves sideways in response and can suck or blow a cyclist under the wheels of a following vehicle or a roadside object. The bigger and faster the truck the greater the risk. The number of motorcyclists killed as a result of losing control in air turbulence after passing fast trucks and B-doubles coming in the other direction has never been counted. However motorcycling organisations know that this is a safety problem and that over the last 10 years this has killed more than a few people
Cyclists already have to share the roads with B-doubles; it is no longer a matter of choice and there is already a danger of cyclists , pedestrians and motorcyclists going under the wheels of B-double trailers. There is practical cure to reduce the potential for injury and death; the fitting of side under run panels has been standard practice on all trucks in the UK and Scandinavia for around 30 years and has saved many live. It should be standard practice to fit side under run panels between the wheels of all trucks in Australia.
The National Transport Commission (NTC) and agencies like Vicroads and the RACV know that side under run panels are world best practice but they pander to the needs of the road and trucking lobbies. Before common sense prevails we will probably have to wait until one of these B-triple monsters runs out of control down a hill over dozens of cars, decapitating the occupants, or for a collision with a bus that kills every one because the 80 tonne load mangles the whole bus.
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Photograph of Rigid truck with side under run panels .
The Rudd Government is taking the reduction of CO2 emissions seriously but the NTC has failed to even mention in reports of road freight that the International Energy Agency has been producing pamphlets since 1991 showing how side under run panels and other forms of streamlining can reduce aerodynamic drag and greatly reduce CO2 emissions. The biggest reduction in CO2 emissions will come from making the rail freight system more efficient and able to carry more non-bulk rail freight. The place for big loads is on real trains on rail racks.
Some Australian road ministers have been discussing a 45 metre long 100 tonne B-Quadruple and one state government has already asked the Commonwealth for more freeway widening funds to enable it to be used
Now is the time for the pedestrian, bicycle and motor cycle associations to say they will not tolerate B-Triple trucks in or near our cities.
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Argos.jpg, 548 KB
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by RobE on
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My interpretation plus Alan's two pics...
My "Graphic" graphic
Side under run protection panels ( maybe wheels should be covered too IMHO!)
B Triple and 13 Bikes in Scale
Vic Prem. Brumby has this to say in Vic Parlt Press Release on 28th Aug at http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/news-events/premier-discusses-b-tripl...
" Thursday, 28 August 2008
Summary: Victorian Premier John Brumby discusses; b-triple trucks,yesterday’s plane crash, federal education proposals, the car manufacturing industry, and the Homeless World Cup.
REPORTER: The B-triple trucks, what’s the Government doing about the plan the Opposition have made public today?
JOHN BRUMBY: Well, we…as you know, we haven’t made any decision yet about B-triples, and we have announced that the Government is examining this issue, but before we made any decision in relation to B-triples we would consult very widely. The challenge that we’ve got is the freight task in Victoria is going to more than double by 2030, so there is going to be a lot more goods being moved and we’ve got to look at the most efficient way of moving them. I think, with B-triples, if it means that we’d have less trucks on the road and fewer trucks in local roads, that would be a good thing. But I repeat, no decision’s been made, we won’t make a decision until there’s been full consultation.
REPORTER: Aren’t they dangerous though, particularly on suburban streets?
BRUMBY: Well, I don’t…if you look at the…considerations underway, there are no plans to put any of these trucks in local streets and as I’ve said before in relation to this issue, the only thing that we’d be looking at with B-triples would be to reduce the total number of truck movements and, particularly, the number of trucks - general trucks, general freight - that use local roads. So, this is about identifying major arterial routes. Can you do this with fewer trucks on the road and can you do this and approve the amenity of local neighbourhoods and local roads? And that’s what we’re looking at, but I repeat, no decision’s been made and no decision will be made until there’s been full consultation.
REPORTER: When will consultation occur and when will that decision be made then?
BRUMBY: Well, some of this work is being undertaken now, so I understand the Minister for Transport has asked his department to do some work on the issues, if you like, the for and against, and you’d see later this year the Minister for Roads, Tim Pallas, would be consulting with relevant communities.
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well the B-triple's little sibling has shown its true colours in residential and urban areas, exemplified in this article. we need less HGVs and more rail infrastructure to handle freight, -last mile logistics requires small vehicles, not these monsters...
Woman killed in hit and run
Staff reporter | March 11, 2009 - 5:59AM
A B-double truck driver left a woman to die on a Melbourne street last night after smashing into her as she stood on a footpath at a northern suburban intersection and dragging her for 100 metres.
Police are appealing for witnesses to the collision at the intersection of High Street and Broadhurst Avenue, Reservoir about 10.40 pm.
Police said a witness told them the woman was struck by a green B-double truck with white markings. The driver briefly stopped the truck, then drove on.
The woman died at the scene.
Investigators arrested a man in Shirley Way, Epping, at 3.30am and found a green B-double truck. He is a 45-year-old from Yarroweyah, near Cobram, about 320 kilometres north of Melbourne.
Police have appealed for other witnesses to the collision to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestoppers.com.au
Gareth Trickey, Amelia Harris
March 10, 2009 11:52pm
UPDATE 8.46am: POLICE have arrested a truck driver in relation to a fatal hit-run in Melbourne's north last night.
A woman died when a B-double truck hit her at the corner of Broadhurst Ave and High St, Reservoir, about 10.40pm.
The victim was an Indian national who was studying hairdressing in Australia and had been here for more than a year.
Police said the truck dragged the woman for about 100 metres, then the driver stopped momentarily at the scene before driving off.
"The truck has hit the person, slowed down and stopped near the intersection of Glasgow Ave and High St for a very short time and then gone on,’’ spokeswoman Sharon Darcy said.
* Vote: Should B-doubles be banned from suburban streets?
(CAUTION POLL: Poll is reversed, read it before you hit accept button, to reject Bdoubles you have to answer NO!-HS is being sneaky here!)
A 45-year-old man from Yarroweyah was arrested this morning at 3.30am at a truck stop in Shirley Way, Epping.
The green B-double truck with white markings has been located and is currently under police guard.
Sgt Brendan Butland from the Major Collision Investigation unit said the woman's death was tragic.
"A B-double prime mover and trailer turning left out of Broadhurst Ave into High St Reservoir has cut the corner and struck a female pedestrian standing on the corner," Sgt Butland said.
"The female pedestrian was dragged approximately 100m down the road and is now deceased.
"We are not sure why the crash has occured at this stage."
A 45-year-old male truck driver is assisting police with their inquiries.
Police are urging witnesses to come forward.
The death brings this year's road toll to 56, two fewer than at the same time last year.
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Permalink Reply by Alan Parker on -
This is not the first time that a B-double wiped out a pedestrian standing at a corner on the footpath. We do not how many young cyclists riding legally on the foot path and pedestians are killed in this way the data is not collected by TAC or Vic Roads. It,s ten years since I Raised this issue in the media.including a lead lettler in the Age and articles in the cyclibg press. This was followed by another letter As follows:-
Hi Sue,
Attached is my proposed letter.I have used the word ERROR instead of LIE and do not mention his actual name for legal reasons and it should be signed by me as Secretary of PEST
Open letter to the ministers for road monsters.
The Victorian Minister for road monsters disbanded the State bicycle Committee of Victoria in August.This is the man who is says he going to do great things for cyclists in future but is more interested in keeping the road freight industry happy. As I will show he signs letters that are so full of errors that he reminds us of the petrol headed minister for transport in Ben Elton’s hilarious novel “Gridlock”.
Error 1 Two of these B-triple trucks are being trialled now on the freeway from Melbourne to Geelong so that he and the minister for transport in another state can issue licences for fleets of them, that weigh up to 77 tonnes, are 33.5 metre long and have 500 hp (370 kW) engines. They are 10 metres longer than the biggest trucks (B-doubles) or as long as seven Ford Falcons end to end.By no stretch of the imagination is this trial a science based objective experiment taking in the needs of all road users.Note that the Road Cycling Association of Australia (Queensland) and Michael Yeates alerted me to what our Minister is really up to.
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Error 2. There has been no objective measure of the perceptions of other road users.No extensive research by an independent expert exists that shows that B-triples are not perceived as a threat to the drivers and riders of all small vehicles.That research work has not been done even though common sense tells us they will be scary for naturally cautious car drivers to pass or be passed. This is likely to be true for people with only average or less than average driving skills and the increasing number of old drivers whose skill is fading away as they age.
Error 3 .I phoned the RACV safety Manager who is supposed to be providing ordinary motorist input to the minister with regard to B-triples. He thanked me for my B-triple submission and said he had received a few letters from people who do not like the idea of B-triples but no proper research has been done.I suggested to him that as 20% of the RACV membership (mostly oldies) find motoring on busy roads rather stressful and that they would most likely find B-triples very stressful indeed and he agreed there was a need to check that out.
Error 4.The swept path or tracking is wider for B-triples than for other vehicles (VicRoads 1997) If the B-triple driver is distracted with other traffic and does not see the cyclist he is passing that cyclist could be swept under the wheels of the last trailer. Indeed, the rear trailer could mount the kerb and wipe out a pedestrian waiting to cross the road. Bicyclists have always found trucks intimidating and women cyclists find them especially so.
Error 5 The minister says there is no problem with B-triples because no cyclists have been killed by B-doubles since introducing them in 1993.As there were only 40 B-doubles in 1993 and about 650 B-doubles in use today there is no statistical basis for his complacent attitude. Indeed it took four years of bicycle lobbying to get cyclists the legal right to use the sealed shoulders on the freeway to Geelong which is the only direct cycling route.That sealed shoulder is only 500 mm wide in places and now cyclists are expected to cope with B-triples.
Error 6. As the rate of bikeway construction is totally inadequate and the Freeway to Geelong has yet to be upgraded to issue B-triple licenses now would be a blatant disregard of the cyclists “legal right of access”.There is absolutely no recognition of the legal status of the bicycle by this minister and until there is cyclists will be discriminated against.
Error 7. My article showed a photograph of a side underrun guards on an 10 ton rigid truck and stated that in Britain and Scandinavia used these underrun sideguards were used to stop cyclists pedestrians and motorcyclist going under the rear wheels.I stated that they were needed on all Australian trucks but the Minister states they are not necessary because a few B-doubles have not killed any cyclists in Victoria .He does not state how many unprotected road users have been killed or injured by the absence to underrun sideguards on the 350,000 rigid trucks on Australian roads.
Error 8. The minister says the Victorian is striving to “safely accommodate all road users ....VicRoads is spending $2 million on Bicycle projects”. How can any claim to safely accommodate cyclists safely be taken seriously when in recent years and for years to come over 500 times the funding has gone to freeways in Victoria.The state bicycle planning unit has been understaffed and grossly underfunded for over 10 years. After 30 years of discrimination against cyclist and insignificant funding were is the “catch-up funding”?
Error 9.He says the state government recognises the important place that cyclist have in the overall transport system. Not so, yet another major road bridge is being constructed across the Yarra going over part of the new Docklands development that will house 30,000 people. There is no pedestrian and bicycle access over the river built into this bridge and yet again we have another major urban development that literally forces people to use cars. At least in Sydney cyclists are now provided for on new Bridges.
The problem with the Kennet Government is that Public relations handouts are now used as a substitute for long term strategic transport planning. Meanwhile VicRoads implements it environmentally obscene vision of Los Angelising Melbourne and writes silly letters for their Ministers to ease them out of office .Its like an episode straight out of a vintage episode of “Yes Minister”. And guess who is going to head up a new State Bicycle Advisory Committee Sir Hubert Humphrey.
Yours sincerely Alan A Parker. Secretary PEST
Parker A.A. (1998) Attack of the Road monsters Journal of the Bicycle Federation of Australia. “Australian Cyclist”August-September 1998, pages 56 to 58 four figures.
Articles in from 1994 also lobbied against Bull bars. See references below.
REFERENCES.bullbars
CAA 1994.
These bars are bull. Choice magazine. June 1994. Consumers Association of Australia.
FORS 1994.
Road Fatality Statistics Australia. September Monthly Report. Federal Office of Road Safety.
IEA 1994.
Meet the killer in our suburb. Engineering Times. No 20 Nov. 1994. The journal of the Institute of Engineers, Australia.
MAYOR, M, B.& COLLIER, J. 1994.
The Technology of Hip Replacement. Scientific American SCIENCE AND MEDICINE May/June 1994.
NHMRC 1994.
Vehicle Travel Speeds and the incidence of Fatal pedestrian Collisions Vol. 1. CR 146 1994. National Health and Medical Research Council Road Accident Research Unit
RACV 1994.
Brochure on bullbars for RACV members outlining Policy.
RTA 1992.
Road Traffic Accidents in NSW 1992 Statistical Statement.
SPARKE L J.1994.
Bull bars, kangaroos and Holden Cars- Uniquely an Australian Challenge. RTA Bull-bar Safety Workshop on 4th May 1994.
TOMAS J, A. 1994.
Evidence given by Dr. Tamas Prof. Mechanical Engineering (RMIT) to the coroner at the inquest of Earnest Bowd. computer simulations by the RMIT Vehicle Safety Group.
WALZ et al 1983.
Speed Limit Reduction from 60 to 50km/hand Pedestrian Injuries. In : 27th Stapp Car Crash Conference Proceedings Oct. 17-19th; San Diego (CA)
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Permalink Reply by Alexandria besk on -
To allan parker,
i know this is late, but Trucks are a tool becoming more and more needed for Australia to thrive, when bicycles can haul 200tones call me but until then you are gonna need minimum 450hp to haul loads and if all you dipshits stayed out the way you wouldn't need to sook about trucks, they are ecinomical try carting those loads of groceries in your Prius you would need 700 priusees to do that
FYI that will take up more space and fuel.
Y r you against bull bars it's not if the truck hits something it going to fare better I'd it has a bar or not I mean really you get in the way you are gonna get hit I mean if cyclists respected the fact they are not the kings of the road and got out of the fucking way when they are doin 12 Kph and struck is doing 100 do the math 77 to 100 tons driving at 100 even 50kph is gonna kill you let's face it you blame them but it is never all their fault.
Bull bars are not for hitting cyclists but the trucks drive not only near cyclists but near kangaroos sheep cows and won't damage the truck if there is a bull bar but the animal will still die empty trucks can still kill you but you never complained about them.
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Permalink Reply by Alan Parker on
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Alan Parker •OAM
There is a place for B-double 100 tons trucks and thats in the NT, and some rural areas but not in cities. EU standards ensure that in Europe nearly all trucks have side under run panels and no bull bars so what's your problem truckie. In the winter in Scandnavia drivers get killed with 2 ton Elks whose guts drown the driver when the elk crashes through the wind screen. Why do you want I license to kill in Urban areas ?
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Permalink Reply by Geoff Rehmet on -
A corollary to this is that in densely populated metropolitan areas like Melbourne, loads of this size should mainly be carried by rail. At a rough guess, road haulage would probably be suitable for loads of 30t and less. The main method of land transport of good in and out of the port of Melbourne probably should be rail. - The damage to roads done by large trucks is just phenomenal. I recall a reference to a study in the UK, which showed that one 40t truck caused about as much wear and tear to roads as about 60 000 cars. That is before even considering the safety issues of such large vehicles as road trains in urban environments.
What is weird is that I find that most of the truckies entering Foostscray rd seem to be quite considerate to cyclists, but by the time they hit Moreland street, many of the insist on using part of the cycle lane...
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