Originally Posted by
FBinNY
Yes, a well trained, skilled and experienced driver would never miss that many cyclists, but he might miss one that slid into the blind spot while his eyes were elsewhere (drivers don't have eyes on the mirror full time). However, even assuming ant any highly skilled driver would see you, are you willing to trust that the driver of the truck next to you is one of those?
Rule 1- if you can't see the driver, he can't see you.
Rule 2- the rear axle always turns a smaller radius than the front one.
Rule 3- if you can't remember rules 1 & 2, avoid the area between the front and rear axles as if your life depended on it, because it might.
A truck driver that is operating in an urban environment, won't last long if they are not aware of their vision short comings and don't operate or maneuver their vehicles accordingly. I operate around professional truck drivers regularly, and I find them much more attentive than Dick and Jane Urbanwolfpack. No matter the type of vehicle, I always operate in a manner to let the driver know of my presence, since there are times that I have to pull up along side them.