Yet Another London Cyclist Death Today

Today another cyclist was crushed under a truck at Holborn, London, the bike a crumpled tangle of tubes under the truck still as I type. That's six deaths so far this year, but horrifically the third one in London in just two weeks.

These truck drivers are not chasing down cyclists with murderous intent, I'm sure they are totally shattered by such an event in their working life. The evidence is that almost all of these accidents was totally under the control of the cyclist and could easily have been avoided by them.

So please, please , please, wherever you are, keep your wits about you, watch out for trucks, recognise the limitations of the drivers vision and stay well clear of them, particularly on their blind left hand side. Your life is in your hands, not theirs.

That's bad: I wonder if the fine weather's making riders a bit more careless? Only takes a moment's lapse in concentration.

As a, sort of, update on the 2 riders killed on the A30 down here recently - I was talking to a chap who had to attend the scene & he tells me they had a support vehicle following them, but were approaching a layby,which it seems likely the lorry driver, who may have been over his hours, was pulling into: The trailer wheels went over them.

It really is not a road to be riding a bike on.

It would seem that the wagon driver is helping the police with their enquiries ...

BBC News - Lorry driver arrested after cyclist dies in London crash

Very very sad , I feel for the family. One love.

I make just this general, and personal, observation. Nothing case specific at all - i wish to be quite clear on this.

I cycle all year round 5 days a week. In the winter the only folk on bikes are people who know how to handle themselves.

This month, where I live in Brighton /shoreham , the roads are packed with utterly incompetent cyclists. They are a danger to themselves and others around them. No idea of safety or etiquette or rules of the road.

It's not a wilful thing - its just a total lack of education and understanding. And practice frankly.

Education is the broad answer

Workable implementation in a recession ? No idea......sorry

It would seem that the wagon driver is helping the police with their enquiries ...

 

BBC News - Lorry driver arrested after cyclist dies in London crash

It is normal procedure in the UK for drivers involved in any fatality to be arrested at the scene. It doesn't in any way imply guilt.

They are a danger to themselves and others around them.

I don't get this - incompetent cyclists on the road aren't really a danger to anyone else. I mean, they aren't going to be a danger to a cement mixer are they?

We need better cycling infrastructure whereby incompetent cyclists can wheel their merry way with no danger to themselves.

I don't get this - incompetent cyclists on the road aren't really a danger to anyone else. I mean, they aren't going to be a danger to a cement mixer are they?

I'm afraid they are, one cyclist collided with and killed an elderly man in London last year. Slow reacting pedestrians like the elderly or the very young can be at real risk from a rider and bike combination which can exceed 120 kilos at 20mph or more.

I'm afraid they are, one cyclist collided with and killed an elderly man in London last year. Slow reacting pedestrians like the elderly or the very young can be at real risk from a rider and bike combination which can exceed 120 kilos at 20mph or more.

That's an exceptional case and you know it is - like the old chap that died after he got knocked over by a pedestrian exiting a shop in a haste.

We're not suddenly going to start saying untrained pedestrians are a menace and danger to everyone else are we?

Yes, but it shows that they can be a danger. There's nothing exceptional about cyclists colliding with pedestrians with less severe effects, it does happen.

My position is merely that cyclists should shoulder more responsibility for themselves and others, all too many don't as Kirstin has said above. Calling for better cycling facilities is not a priority since it will take too long, isn't possible on most of London's roads and there's no money to do it anyway.

Action is needed immediately to stop these deaths, and only cyclists can achieve that.

That's an exceptional case and you know it is - like the old chap that died after he got knocked over by a pedestrian exiting a shop in a haste.

 

We're not suddenly going to start saying untrained pedestrians are a menace and danger to everyone else are we?

Well, it's not the only case, there was a similar one near me on a cycle path some years ago.

The best thing that I can say is bless his/her soul, plus we must ALL take care when on the roads.

MS.

It is normal procedure in the UK for drivers involved in any fatality to be arrested at the scene. It doesn't in any way imply guilt.

I'm well aware that arrest doesn't actually imply guilt, but as I understand it, the driver of the wagon involved in the fatal accident with the French girl on the Boris bike recently was actually not arrested ...

I don't get this - incompetent cyclists on the road aren't really a danger to anyone else. I mean, they aren't going to be a danger to a cement mixer are they?

 

We need better cycling infrastructure whereby incompetent cyclists can wheel their merry way with no danger to themselves.

Maybe not a cement mixer but certainly to themselves

And pedestrians as flecc mentions. Not as unusual as you appear to believe. Plenty of unfortunate examples in the local paper

I have personally seen two cyclist on cyclist crashes in last 10 days. Both on dedicated cycle paths. Sole reason in both was a lack of understanding of how to use the facilities, the importance of not weaving randomly over the cycle lane, not wearing headphones, how to overtake safely, how/when to use a bell and shout "on your right" etc

In other words - basic cycle awareness and safety

Very very sad , I feel for the family. One love.

 

 

Education is the broad answer

 

I agree. I want training as my wife and I have different approaches, however, in north Birmingham training is only available to the residents of two boroughs who sign up for a complete course, it's crazy.

I agree. I want training as my wife and I have different approaches, however, in north Birmingham training is only available to the residents of two boroughs who sign up for a complete course, it's crazy.

Forgive me if this is a daft question, but might the latest edition of "Cyclecraft" be of interest to you?

Cyclecraft

Forgive me if this is a daft question, but might the latest edition of "Cyclecraft" be of interest to you

...does it tell you how to safely, make a right turn on a busy, narrow main road, with huge trucks thundering past at 30mph on both sides...the intersection may well have been clear 10 seconds sooner as you approached but all that can change in the blink of an eye.

....roads are a bloody nightmare and many motorists are not prepared to slow down for a cyclist.

...does it tell you how to safely, make a right turn on a busy, narrow main road, with huge trucks thundering past at 30mph on both sides...

TBH I can't be arsed to rake out our outdated copy to check.

But in any case, how does cycle training actually do that?

...does it tell you how to safely, make a right turn on a busy, narrow main road, with huge trucks thundering past at 30mph on both sides....

Not safely - as that depends on the other motorists accepting thier responsibilities and acting safely - but it does tell you how to make the maneuver safer and how you can attempt to influence other motorists responses and actions when encountering a cyclist.

Edited July 16, 201312 yr by amigafan2003

i followed a cyclist today whilst taking wife to work, he went from left side of road to centre then back to left totally oblivious to our car behind, never even glanced behind, then went the wrong way down the middle of a one way street. If he doesn't get knocked off on way back he certainly will be very soon. Totally incompetent and shouldn't be on the road.

oh, and he went through the red traffic light as well

Edited July 16, 201312 yr by carpetbagger

i followed a cyclist today whilst taking wife to work, he went from left side of road to centre then back to left totally oblivious to our car behind, never even glanced behind, then went the wrong way down the middle of a one way street. If he doesn't get knocked off on way back he certainly will be very soon. Totally incompetent and shouldn't be on the road.

oh, and he went through the red traffic light as well

Perhaps unfairly, they are often the ones who get away with their incompetence, simply because their behaviour is so obvious.

Those most at risk are the cyclists who, in trying to be safe and law abiding, actually put themselves in greater danger. Their common well-intentioned faults are always riding at the edge of the road, never crossing the stop line at red traffic lights so leaving themselves in the blind spot of large vehicles, and avoiding getting in the way of motor traffic so not being in the dominant position when right turning or approaching a narrow hazard.

I cycle in london and live almost on one of the "cycle super highways" and tbh I see awful cyclists each day. The only thing I think that saves them is how stop start cars have to be in the city so they can't hit them more often at higher speeds.

Jumping lights is just dumb, even on straight roads when it isn't a cross roads it will just end up that your routine is jumping a set of lights and you bike into a pedestrian stepping out.

'cycle boxes' at traffic lights are often awfully placed and have a car in them anyway, I personally place myself in the left 1/2 of the outside lane and then if I know the lights won't change for a moment attempt to make eye contact with the driver behind me even just for a second. I also look back and make a mental note of any trucks or buses that will maybe fly past me in the next few moments.

I also sometimes will place myself even more into the middle of the lane if I feel the car behind is going to try and zoom around me to the right and then cut past me to turn left as soon as the lights go. Funny enough I had someone follow me across the lights to complain about that tactic the other day, when I explained he was still angry but he did admit "yeah, you pulled away faster than most cyclists so could have clipped you maybe BUT I wouldn't..."

Passing parked cars can also be fatal, look back over your shoulder and if you don't have the space slow down or stop to let the car pass first. I'm also overly cautious of opening car doors since my only accident about 10 years ago was when I went past a line of stopped cars and the 3rd or 4th one opened his door on me to get his door full of 15mph bmx.

Look out for them flashing blue lights too, pull over to a safe spot and let them pass as all road users should.

...does it tell you how to safely, make a right turn on a busy, narrow main road, with huge trucks thundering past at 30mph on both sides...the intersection may well have been clear 10 seconds sooner as you approached but all that can change in the blink of an eye.

....roads are a bloody nightmare and many motorists are not prepared to slow down for a cyclist.

Plan your route before you leave. I personally favour google maps and despite living by the south circular can usually plan out a route that will have me using safer roads, if I'm unsure I look at the street view.

I'm afraid they are, one cyclist collided with and killed an elderly man in London last year. Slow reacting pedestrians like the elderly or the very young can be at real risk from a rider and bike combination which can exceed 120 kilos at 20mph or more.

Hold on, the great majority of these deaths are pedestrians who have stepped into the road in front of the cyclist.

Rather few are caused by reckless cycling on the pavement.

Care to tell us what happened in this case, and perhaps avoid giving the impression that cyclists are a menace?

(Also worth noting, a 20mph collision is probably some 80 or 90% safer than a 30mph collision, which is xxx safer than a 40mph collision etc)

Well, it's not the only case, there was a similar one near me on a cycle path some years ago.

What, a pedestrian on a shared path suddenly moved over into the path of a cyclist? I trust the pedestrian was prosecuted!

...does it tell you how to safely, make a right turn on a busy, narrow main road, with huge trucks thundering past at 30mph on both sides...

Yes. Get off and push.

many motorists are not prepared to slow down for a cyclist.

The cyclist who expects traffic to slow down for them does us no credit. Either force them to take notice, demanding their attention, or else get completely out of their way, preferably onto the pavement.

Hold on, the great majority of these deaths are pedestrians who have stepped into the road in front of the cyclist.

 

Rather few are caused by reckless cycling on the pavement.

 

Care to tell us what happened in this case, and perhaps avoid giving the impression that cyclists are a menace?

 

(Also worth noting, a 20mph collision is probably some 80 or 90% safer than a 30mph collision, which is xxx safer than a 40mph collision etc)

Don't misread what I posted, I wasn't saying all or even any cyclists were a menace. I was responding to Amigafan who posted this, his implication being that bikes could not be a danger to people:

"incompetent cyclists on the road aren't really a danger to anyone else, I mean, they aren't going to be a danger to a cement mixer are they?"

My post illustrated that bikes can be and sometimes are dangerous to pedestrians, regardless of whose fault a collision is.

The greatest advance in cycling safety will come when cyclists stop obsessing about who's to blame and spend their time and effort in what they are doing on the roads. That's what I do and it's kept me safe and never injured in 67 years of cycling, despite the behaviour of others.