Few of us have the opportunity to climb up into the driver’s seat of a truck or bus. What a driver can and, more importantly, cannot see is quite different from what we can see closer to the ground.
The purpose of the demonstration is to improve people’s understanding of heavy vehicle blind zones and potentially change their behaviour when riding a bike near heavy vehicles. By sitting in the driver’s seat, people see where they are most vulnerable when cycling near trucks. We position bikes around the truck and ask participants how many they can see. It can be quite a shock to see how invisible you are at certain locations. The experience generates valuable conversations with whanau about how to stay safe when cycling on the road. The demonstration was developed by the ‘Share the Road Campaign’, and it is hoped that the ensuing conversations will increase people’s understanding of the following key messages:
- Position yourself so heavy vehicle drivers can see you
- Make eye contact with the driver, smile, and wave
- Do not pass a heavy vehicle on the left-hand side
All road users have the right to get home safely. Understanding other road users’ needs and vulnerabilities is key to ensuring we can all share the roads. Activities like a Blindzone demonstration help increase people’s understanding and ideally empathy towards other road users. With younger children it is an opportunity to start a conversation about where to position themselves when near to a large vehicle.
