When a cyclist or pedestrian tangles with a truck, the truck wins every time. It’s imperative to level the playing field between large vehicles and vulnerable road users, but the solutions aren’t always simple.
Some believe truck side guards are the answer, to prevent people from falling under and being crushed by the wheels. But many in the industry don’t think they’ll work, and ultimately, after commissioning a report to study them, the Canadian government agreed.
“The research has shown that even on vehicles where you could put them on, it really doesn’t change the outcome if a cyclist is going to get caught dealing with a trailer,” says David Bradley, president of the Ontario Trucking Association. “If side guards worked, we’d be the first ones supporting them. It doesn’t work. It’s one of those solutions that are simple, easy, and wrong.”
Side skirts versus side guards
Many people confuse side skirts, which are frequently used on tractor-trailers in Canada, with side guards, which are mandatory in Europe but seldom used here.
Side skirts fit between a trailer’s front and rear wheels to improve aerodynamics and are not intended for pedestrian protection. They’re usually made of fibreglass, aluminum or plastic, and have to be flexible so they don’t break off on snowbanks or other obstacles. They can improve fuel economy by as much as 6 per cent, but only at speeds above 70 km/h. As a result, they’re almost exclusively fitted to long-haul highway trailers, which are seldom used in downtown areas.
Side guards are specifically intended to prevent pedestrians or cyclists from going under the truck and are usually made of steel, placed between the wheels but not over them. They’re generally only found on one-piece straight trucks that are more likely to be used for inner-city deliveries. Skirts and guards are not used together.
Canada requires tractor-trailers to have rigid rear guards to prevent cars sliding under in a rear-end collision, but side guards are not mandated. Their weight affects fuel economy, and while some argue that they could prevent cars from riding under in side-swipe or jackknife incidents, a 2010 report by the National Research Council of Canada concluded that there isn’t enough material on the side of a trailer to properly hold a side guard that would be strong enough to deflect a car.
They can’t be used on tanker trucks, where operators need to access pipes and controls, or with auxiliary equipment such as snowplows. The report suggested that 20 per cent of trucks could be exempt from any guard requirement.
From 2004 to 2006, the time frame used in the study, the majority of pedestrians and cyclists killed by heavy vehicles in urban areas were struck at intersections. Most were hit by the front of the truck, while the truck’s right side was the initial point of impact in 28.5 per cent of cyclist fatalities, and 6.3 per cent of pedestrian fatalities.
Mark Romeril, ward advocacy and membership director for Cycle Toronto, wants these numbers to drop. The non-profit advocacy group has been active since 2008 and has over 3,000 members. “Guards prevent this relatively frequent type of incident, where people are caught between the front and rear wheels on the trailer,” he says. “Typically, a right-turn scenario is the most common for people on bikes.”
But the National Research report disagreed, stating that “side guards alone will not eliminate serious injuries.” It added that while the side skirts on city buses are lower than a truck side guard would be, pedestrians still slip and fall under bus wheels, and that people who hit the guards could be knocked aside and injured by another vehicle, or by hitting the road or sidewalk.
While Japan, the U.K., and the European Union have legislated side guards, Australia rejected a proposal to make them mandatory, citing only a small number of fatalities due to colliding with the side of the truck, along with the cost of equipping vehicles with them.
Canada’s report couldn’t come up with an average price, since almost no one installs them here, but said that aerodynamic trailer fairings can run between $1,825 and $2,450.
The Canadian report did admit that deaths and serious injuries from collisions with heavy vehicles have gone down in Europe since side guards were introduced. But it concluded that “it is not clear if this reduction is entirely related to side guards or if side guards are but one of the contributing factors.”
In an email, Transport Canada communications adviser Mélany Gauvin confirmed that the department “has been unable to find any European studies that conclusively demonstrate the effectiveness of side guards in preventing casualties.” Transport Canada also studied road casualty data and actual collision investigations, and concluded that it “does not support the need for mandatory side guards in Canada.”
Gauvin added that while there is no federal requirement, “any province or territory is free to require side guards on trucks operating within their boundaries.” None do.
What other factors are involved?
So, if truck guards alone don’t explain Europe’s improved numbers, what could? Transport Canada suggested other factors that were also implemented within the same time frame, including better road infrastructure, and additional dedicated bike and pedestrian paths.
While roads can be improved, so can trucks. Some possibilities include larger windows or side-mounted cameras to reduce blind spots. Since 2012, New York City has required all large commercial trucks operating on city streets to have convex “crossover” mirrors. These bolt onto the front fenders, giving drivers a clear view of anyone in front of or beside the truck. They’re required on all school buses in Canada, but not on trucks.
“We need proper bicycle lane infrastructure, which we don’t really have in Toronto,” Bradley says. “Because we share our workplace with the public, we need to have constant improvement in the technology. We’re not bashful about what needs to be done in terms of safety, and it’s not a cost issue. It’s what works, and what will reduce the number of crashes. Some people push for (side guards) but it really doesn’t work.”
Mark Romeril disagrees. “If we’re serious about no deaths due to traffic, we have to consider that side guards may be one of the tools,” he says. “If truck guards have the ability to save a life, then they’re worth investigating and pursuing.”
SIDEBAR
High-tech solutions
In September 2010, Volvo kicked off a joint project with Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology and three technology firms. Dubbed the Non-Hit Car and Truck Project, the objective was to develop safety technologies to prevent collisions.
One of these uses cameras, radar and sensors to scan around a vehicle in all directions. With software that’s still in the development stage, the system identifies pedestrians, cyclists and other road users, including where they are and where they are going.
If a truck determines it might strike a pedestrian and the driver does not respond, it could autonomously steer or brake to avoid the collision. It’s far more difficult to design such systems for trucks, since they’re often heavily loaded and can’t swerve quickly to avoid problems.
The four-year project wrapped up last December. Volvo Trucks says the research should result in new safety systems being available within five to 10 years.
Freelance writer Jil McIntosh is a regular contributor to Toronto Star Wheels. To reach her, write to wheels@thestar.ca and put her name in the subject line.
