European Parliament backs rules for safer, more fuel-efficient lorry designs
64 replies, posted
[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27032476[/url]
[quote]A large majority in the European Parliament has approved new rules to make big lorries safer for other road users and more fuel-efficient.
If national governments back the changes, lorries will have to have bigger windows and rounder fronts - rather than the standard "brick" design used for drivers' cabs now.
New designs will tackle the driver's "blind spot", blamed for many deaths.
Groups representing cyclists have urged the UK government to back the changes.
The proposals were backed by 570 MEPs, with 88 against.[/quote]
For reference, here's a pretty standard lorry today
[img]http://imgkk.com/i/_9tk.jpg[/img]
And here's a concept for what lorries might look like under these rules. The driver can see a lot more shit, and it's a lot more aerodynamic
[img]http://imgkk.com/i/_moy.jpg[/img]
Here's an article from last year about the rules with some more detail
[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23152918[/url]
[quote]Lorry cabs have been shaped like an upturned shoebox for decades.
It's a terrible shape. Bad for fuel consumption and lethal in accidents, because the driver has blind spots and the flat front can push pedestrians and cyclists underneath the wheels.
It's hard to listen to Cait Hurley talk about the time she ended up under a lorry as she cycled home in London last year. "When I was on the ground, I assumed that everything from my knee down was gone," she says. "That's what it felt like. But I was alive."
She showed me her leg, which has extensive skin grafts and still hurts her a great deal. Sometimes she has to use a stick to walk. But she is able to talk about it, because she wants more done to protect cyclists from lorries.
"I only had time to think of two things, really. Where are the wheels. And my kids... oh, it's my turn, that's what I thought."
Now the European Commission says it wants to change the rules governing the size of lorries to help protect people like Cait.
Funnily enough, it involves making them bigger. Well, the cab at the front, anyway.[/quote]
I think it's fucking ugly, but reducing blind spots is a huge benefit for truck drivers. Of course if car drivers would respect those blind spots it wouldn't be a problem, but most car drivers clean their windshield with their tongue so that'll never fucking happen.
[QUOTE=TestECull;44550932][B]I think it's fucking ugly[/B], but reducing blind spots is a huge benefit for truck drivers. Of course if car drivers would respect those blind spots it wouldn't be a problem, but most car drivers clean their windshield with their tongue so that'll never fucking happen.[/QUOTE]
Compared to a normal lorry
The ugliest, blockiest piece of crap on roads.
Maybe they should just strap a sofa to the front so if they hit a cyclist they will just plonk down onto a nice comfy sofa instead of being mangled in the wheels.
[QUOTE=eurocracy;44550977]Compared to a normal lorry
The ugliest, blockiest piece of crap on roads.[/QUOTE]
Normal lorries don't look THAT bad but this looks bad, like it's futuristic but it's bad
I'm all for making sure truck drivers have a better view of their surroundings though
Current lorries look awful, they're just boxes of steel and glass. The design hasn't changed since the 80s. Besides it doesn't matter how a lorry looks, they're supposed to be efficient.
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/LwIcnVs.png[/IMG], that looks awesome.
It reminds me of ED-209 from Robocop for some reason
Lorry is such a weird word.
Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry, Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry.
[QUOTE=TestECull;44550932]I think it's fucking ugly, but reducing blind spots is a huge benefit for truck drivers. Of course if car drivers would respect those blind spots it wouldn't be a problem, but most car drivers clean their windshield with their tongue so that'll never fucking happen.[/QUOTE]
We have a big problem here in Denmark with right-turn accidents involving lorries and bicyclists. This would probably reduce it quite a bit.
People are always crying out for futuristic looking designs then as soon as they come along they call them ugly.
Now that is a cool looking lorry
[QUOTE=fruxodaily;44550915]That concept looks fucking ugly[/QUOTE]
Trucks are already fucking ugly so not like it matters.
Trucks aren't ugly, the ETS2 fanbase would like to speak to all of y'all. And I know of safer and more fuel-efficient lorries, they're called [I]cargo trains[/I]
My country is still going to get rekt by those anywhere this takes turn. Living in a transit country sucks.
No side view mirrors? Will it use cameras instead?
It looks like a space lorry. Also, the wide FOV is definitely a good feature, especially since it adds more vertical view in addition to horizontal.
[QUOTE=Kazumi;44551698]No side view mirrors? Will it use cameras instead?[/QUOTE]
This concept does, yes. Visible here:
[t]http://imgkk.com/i/_-yk.jpg[/t]
Cameras don't offer depth perception like mirrors do, they're a gimmick.
[editline]15th April 2014[/editline]
and it looks like a turd overall
Yeah cameras replacing side mirrors is something I would be strongly against, side mirrors gives you a clear sight of what's behind you on your side whereas cameras I guess can but they can also be unreliable
I hope they have a bit of consultation with truck driver groups. I'd love to see these rolled out for safety, but they look cool too.
Could put some people out of work if they have to buy a truck without financial support though.
[QUOTE=fruxodaily;44552117]Yeah cameras replacing side mirrors is something I would be strongly against, side mirrors gives you a clear sight of what's behind you on your side whereas cameras I guess can but they can also be unreliable[/QUOTE]
Some newer lorries usually have both and they make good use of night vision. It's against the law to not have a driver side mirror so i can't see this design happening.
[QUOTE=Medevila;44551407]One of the biggest things about freight trucks is that they can adapt to tow a wide variety of freight trailers. This seems to be limited to a trailer very particular to the truck itself.[/QUOTE]
the concept trailer is there just to look pretty, it'll be fit for current trailers
They should make something like buses where the driver is low closer to the ground and is pretty much covered in windows, put the engine behind the driver instead of below.
[QUOTE=Electrocuter;44552613]They should make something like buses where the driver is low closer to the ground and is pretty much covered in windows, put the engine behind the driver instead of below.[/QUOTE]
this wouldnt be that good as then you'd have a much longer cab, the cab will still have to be tall because air will just slap the front of the trailer and make drag
and things like cooling for the engine could be compromised
Good luck getting independent lorry drivers and small lorry companies to replace their vehicles with these without ending up in a ton of debt.
Most big lorries look like this now, with the aerodynamic roof:
[img]http://www.biofuelstp.eu/images/tk-maxx-lorry.jpg[/img]
[QUOTE=matt.ant;44552837]Most big lorries look like this now, with the aerodynamic roof:
[img]http://www.biofuelstp.eu/images/tk-maxx-lorry.jpg[/img][/QUOTE]
"most" I've never ever seen one
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