Safety first: "Blind spot" sticker for all trucks

23/03/2021

Since the beginning of the year, all trucks traveling in France have been required to display the black-yellow-red, conspicuous "blind spot" stickers on the vehicle (at certain locations). This applies to both French and foreign vehicles. Violators will have to pay a fine from April 2021.

Why were the stickers introduced by the French government? Mr. Norbert Kempf has been a driver at Kleyling since 1986. He gives us answers and an exciting, interesting insight into what a truck driver can and cannot see from the driver's cab.

More and more people are giving up their cars and getting on their bikes instead, and bicycle traffic continues to increase. Unfortunately, accidents caused by "blind spots" (French: "Angles Morts") are also on the rise. The reason for these accidents is usually that people who are directly in front of, behind or to the side of the truck are overlooked.

"See and be seen!" is Mr. Kempf's motto. He used to drive with only two exterior mirrors, but today he has significantly more mirrors on his truck. He always keeps these clean in accordance with regulations and checks his vehicle every day, because safety is the be-all and end-all. Despite the mirrors provided by law, he cannot see every area around his vehicle.

For safety reasons, all road users, whether cyclists, pedestrians or even car and scooter drivers, should stop and wait behind a turning truck. The stickers are now intended to provide information about the "blind spot". These are now highly visible, especially in cities, and call on all road users to exercise caution.

At Kleyling, safety first! All our trucks are equipped with the stickers!