HGV Blind Spots, Mirrors, and Vulnerable Road Users

What this is about

Blind spots and vulnerable road users around HGVs — cyclists, pedestrians, scooters. Banksman work on private yards is covered separately.

Where people disappear

• Close to the cab front and near-side before moving off
• Alongside the trailer on left turns / nearside turns in left-hand traffic
• In the gap when you pull forward after stopping at lights

Before every move

• Mirrors set and clean; cameras working if fitted
• Look for bikes in the door mirror and front view — then look again
• Indicate early; take turns slowly enough to stop if something appears

Urban habit that saves lives

Assume a cyclist is in the blind spot until your mirrors and eyes prove the space is clear. “I never saw them” is a description of failure, not a defence strategy.

If you clip or frighten someone

Stop if safe, check welfare, report as required. Do not drive on hoping nobody noted the registration.

Driver takeaway

Extra seconds at junctions beat a lifetime explaining a near-side strike. Slow is professional.

What to remember

Blind spots are predictable. Clear mirrors, slow pull-aways, and assuming a cyclist is there until you prove otherwise prevent the worst urban incidents.

Read the article through before you apply the rule on the road. Figures and exceptions change. If your operator’s procedure or a roadside check says something different from a web summary, follow the written procedure and official sources (DVSA, DVLA, GOV.UK, and the regulation that applies).

For “HGV Blind Spots, Mirrors, and Vulnerable Road Users”, keep the practical chain: check before you leave, record correctly on the tachograph or in documents, tell planning when something does not add up, and do not move the vehicle if you know it is illegal or unsafe.

If a colleague, customer or short message asks you to skip a check, ask for it in writing. Stopping on time and a call to the desk costs less than a penalty, a prohibition, or a collision.