London Cycling, a bad start to the year

[flecc]

After 2016 being one of the lowest years for cycling deaths with 9 deaths (down from a past average of 14 deaths), there's now a sudden very bad start to this year with 3 London commuting cyclists killed in the last four days.

One on Monday was due to a hit and run accident, but the two in the vehicle have been located and arrested. Another death also on Monday was the cyclist in collision with a coach

Thursday's death resulted from the bike skidding on a bend with a wet and muddy road surface bend and the male cyclist sliding under a lorry.

With both Monday's victims female, the large gender imbalance of previous years continues, females being under a quarter of the commuting cyclists.

The better news is that a record £154 millions a year for five years has just been secured for London cycling improvements which include further fully segregated routes. This expenditure is on a level with Denmark and The Netherlands, so progress at last. We'll never eliminate deaths though, even The Netherlands with its superb cycling facilities has an average 200 deaths a year, almost twice Britain's.

So please take care out there, especially when it's dark and wet. Better late than the late.
.
.

 

[mike killay]

Flecc, any idea about the numbers of death per 1000 miles of bike riding UK/Netherlands?

 

[Steve A]

I love cycling and wouldn't judge who was to blame for any cycling deaths, as all are so sad for everyone.
What i would say, is that i wish all cyclists and motorists would be more thoughtful to each other i.e. drivers giving way and more space when overtaking, and cyclists not going through red lights etc. The list goes on.

When i'm cycling i try and give cyclist a good rap with car drivers, always thank them with a (hand thank you) when they overtake me carefully etc etc.

The driving test should include some additional features to make drivers more aware / careful with cyclists etc. Problem is there's little or nothing you can do to improve cyclists behaviour?

 

[gray198]

Just been a feature on BBC breakfast about the deaths in London

 

[Nealh]

Just been a feature on BBC breakfast about the deaths in London

I saw that as well, There is a protest arranged today in a London and feel that HGV's are one of the reasons.

Outside of London and probably in general I see a lot of car drivers who have the attitude that they need to pass cyclists at almost any cost, then once past whether carefully done or not insist on driving on the nearside esp in slower traffic to prevent any bike going thru.

One place that shows up the stupidity of car drivers is 100yds from my front door, there is a railway bridge for one vehicle only it is controlled by lights. If a cyclist tries to cycle thru at the kerbside/nearside drivers will nearly always try and get past endangering the rider and at times driving at speed. I myself always place my self in the middle of the road at the lights and stick to the middle of the road under the bridge only after the bridge do I move to the ns and then 18" or so from the kerb.

 

[flecc]

Flecc, any idea about the numbers of death per 1000 miles of bike riding UK/Netherlands?

There aren't accurate national cycling mileage figures for the UK Mike, but we can make some meaningful deductions based on the populations and cycling rates for The Netherlands and London, since the first is only double the size of the second making comparisons possible:

The basic recent annual stats are:

The Netherlands:
Pop. 16,800,000, cycling rate 70%, average annual deaths 200.

London:
Pop. 8,500,000, all cycling rate 4%, average annual deaths 9.

When adjusted for population, cycling rates and death rates, the comparative outcome is:

The Netherlands: 1 death per 58,000 cyclists.

London: 1 death per 38,000 cyclists.

So the disparity isn't as large as one might think it could be,

London has made big strides in accident rate reduction in recent years. Over a decade ago when the cycling rate was less than half the present, deaths peaked at over 20 per year. Then as cycling greatly increased the rate settled at around 14 per year and has now got down to single figures regularly.

The one big concern remains the female deaths. Most of London's cycling is commuting and females form some 25% of that, but a far higher rate of deaths. In one recent year all 8 deaths were female and in another all but one of the deaths female.

The reasons are well known and previously explained so I won't go into them at length again in this post. Obviously though if we could crack this problem we'd easily match The Netherlands, even without all their fancy cycling facilities.
.

 

[mike killay]

Thanks Flecc, we have got some way to go.
I think that the publicity these fatalities receive nowadays helps raise awareness.

 

[Benjahmin]

It's always desperately sad to hear of the death of someone doing something that they love. We are all aware of the dangers of cycling on roads and the need to have a highly aware/defensive style of riding. However I am always taken aback by peoples reaction when they find I'm a cyclist. You can practically see them booking the hearse. I live in and cycle the lanes of west Wales, sometimes I can go for miles and not see a car. Yet friends of mine are aghast that I should so stupidly risk my life. Flecc's figures help to put this in context. I wonder what the death rate for motorists or pedestrians are?

I would love to see a cycling infrastructure like that of Holland. But don't hold your breath. Whilst the emphasis, in this country, is on sports cycling, this isn't going to happen. We'll have to be content with bits of white paint on the road and the oh so stupid, 'Cyclists dismount here' sign.

Recently my daughter got knocked off her bike in Cardiff, whilst in a bus lane. A car ran into the back of her! He shouldn't have been there. However the police told her that she shouldn't have been in the bus lane as it's for busses!
Apparently in Cardiff this is the case, not so other cities. It depends on what white paint is at the beggining of the bus lane. What hope is there in the face of such bull?

 

[Crockers]

So Cardiff wants cyclist to be sandwiched between a bus to the left and a hgv to the right....Madness.

 

[Croxden]

So Cardiff wants cyclist to be sandwiched between a bus to the left and a hgv to the right....Madness.

You don't seem to understand the modern way of doing things, for instance A&E are struggling because of to many patients. So the proposal is to close a few of them down. See, so when you get your head around the new way, it makes sense.

As my mother used to say, I'm glad I'm leaving this world not coming into it.

 

[flecc]

So Cardiff wants cyclist to be sandwiched between a bus to the left and a hgv to the right....Madness.

We have cycle lanes like that, one near me that I ride is between the bus lane and fast traffic.
.

 

[anotherkiwi]

San Sebastian and Nantes have some strangely placed cycle paths too. I think the theory may be that it slows the cars down. Back in the day bikes and busses shared the same lane.

 

[flecc]

I think the theory may be that it slows the cars down.

That theory doesn't work! The bus drivers are often good though, some nervous to overtake me on the nearside so I wave them through with my left arm to reassure them that I'm aware they are there. (mirror fitted)
.

 

[Gubbins]

I too feel sad to hear of these deaths which makes me ask questions of my behavior on the road. Am I riding in a way that puts me at risk? Could I make a change to be safer?
Using cycle lanes to ride up the inside of standing or slow moving traffic is still undertaking and leaves the rider (I was going to say undertaker) open to all sorts of hazards not least of which is a pedestrian who is out of view nipping across from the right emerging into the cycle lane from the right between the stationary vehicles.
Who has right of way, or who is to blame are questions that have little meaning to someone laid on the ground bleeding .

 

[Benjahmin]

Then there's the opening door to be watched. About three years ago the same daughter got knocked off by a woman suddenly opening her drivers door whilst parked. Broken collar bone resulted in several weeks of lost work (she's a professional dancer).

My way is to look for eye contact with any driver that's likely to move into my path. No eye contact, brakes are on or evasive action being taken. However I have the luxury of low density traffic out here. I really feel for all those riding the city.

 

[Wicky]

In my home town we have shared use bus lanes - very handy as I travel around either by motorcycle or pedelec. It seems to work with everone accommodating each other without carnage.

I just wish it was consistently applied throughout the country as when I visit the next nearest town just over the border in Suffolk it's buses exclusively.

 

[Tugwell Gibson]

I'm no true cyclist. I've owned an operate my own driving school for nearly 14 years. I'm afraid that alone will stop me ever being a proper cyclist. When I'm on the road I'm on constant guard. And I think nothing of hopping on to the pavement if I don't like the junction. And using the crossing by wheeling it across.

Over the years I've seen inner and greater Londons half assed attempts at cycle lanes. One of the bridges in London had a cycle lane right in the middle of buses and lorrys. Someone died almost immediately. It's happened a few times. The planners should have some culpability .

 

[Benjahmin]

I just wish it was consistently applied throughout the country as when I visit the next nearest town just over the border in Suffolk it's buses exclusively.

Inconsistency is a big part of the problem. Also the sheer amount of signage and information we are expected to process, leading to confusion and/or hesitation by drivers and anyone unfamiliar with that particular piece of road. In Wales all signs are also in two languages, more befuddlement.

For city transport it has to be segregated bike lanes that it's physically impossible for vehicles to park in (bollards maybe?) and shared use paths. Of course this would need an education campaign for both cyclists and pedestrians to respect each others space.

 

[Gubbins]

Inconsistency is a big part of the problem. Also the sheer amount of signage and information we are expected to process, leading to confusion and/or hesitation by drivers and anyone unfamiliar with that particular piece of road. In Wales all signs are also in two languages, more befuddlement.

For city transport it has to be segregated bike lanes that it's physically impossible for vehicles to park in (bollards maybe?) and shared use paths. Of course this would need an education campaign for both cyclists and pedestrians to respect each others space.

Our local council decided to try bollards to segregate the bike lane. Trouble being it's on an industrial estate and 40ft hgv's made mincemeat of them...

 

[anotherkiwi]

Inconsistency is a big part of the problem. Also the sheer amount of signage and information we are expected to process, leading to confusion and/or hesitation by drivers and anyone unfamiliar with that particular piece of road. In Wales all signs are also in two languages, more befuddlement.

For city transport it has to be segregated bike lanes that it's physically impossible for vehicles to park in (bollards maybe?) and shared use paths. Of course this would need an education campaign for both cyclists and pedestrians to respect each others space.

In Bilbao all signs are in Basque, so only the one language, but that doesn't make them less confusing (yes, I think it is a message they are trying to send to Madrid...)

On mixed paths, rule number one: pedestrians never look at signs I am often grumbled at by tourists during the summer, it is usually the female element who draws hubbies attention to the fact that the path is also a cycle path and from time to time I even get an embarrassed apology.