Another Cyclist dies at Bow Roundabout

[Twelve Spokes]

Aggressive motor vehicle drivers. London is riddled with them.

Well I have always said this to my workmates,compared to cycling in Thailand,where I have just come back from the driving over here can be too damn aggressive and reckless.Over there they are more patient with cyclists,even in Bangkok.Though it's part of their culture I think.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Someone posted a design for safer trucks on this site recently. I can't find it I'm afraid. Replacing the existing fleet with something like this would be a massive expense for construction companies and they would need encouragement to do so. Encouragement comes in many forms.

This? http://lcc.org.uk/articles/lcc-chal...er-urban-lorry-to-reduce-lorry-cyclist-deaths

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03h6dlx/BBC_London_News_13_11_2013/

 

[Fab Foodie]

Thank you all for caring. It was my sister, Venera Minakhmetova. If some of you were there or might think of any friends being there around the time of accident, please, try to find out as much as you can and write me on dina.minakhmetova@gmail.com . My sister should be the last victim.

Deepest Sympathy to you and your family.
I only hope we can make things better.

 

[Crankarm]

#space4cycling. This was the 3rd person to die on Bow roundabout since the instillation of the 'superhighway'.
It was raised with TFL that this was going to be an issue before it was put into place, but they choose to ignore and installed it anyway.

What needs to happen now is that TFL are seriously criticised by a Coroner for the provision for cyclists at this junction. Then the estates of the deceased need to sue TFL for negligence meaning they could be liable for millions. TFL will only then pull it's fingers out of it's ar5e and do some thing to end this awful slaughter. Money talks especially if it means you have to pay out huge sums for failing to carry out your duties properly.

 

[kerndog]

I do have to wonder if some of these deaths are not the cyclists fault. We all know those arrogant cyclists that think they own the road, cycling obstructively just because they see them selves as better than everyone else because they cycle. Or maybe just bad judgement on the cyclists part... its not always the vehicles fault

 

[RedRider]

This? http://lcc.org.uk/articles/lcc-chal...er-urban-lorry-to-reduce-lorry-cyclist-deaths

That's the one. We've sent rockets to Mars so this should be easy.

 

[Mile195]

What needs to happen now is that TFL are seriously criticised by a Coroner for the provision for cyclists at this junction. Then the estates of the deceased need to sue TFL for negligence meaning they could be liable for millions. TFL will only then pull it's fingers out of it's ar5e and do some thing to end this awful slaughter. Money talks especially if it means you have to pay out huge sums for failing to carry out your duties properly.

I'm not sure that's really a way forward. TFL can't be held completely responsible for the design of the junction. Admittedly from the video above it's definitely lacking, but the heart of the problem is that the junction was only ever designed for motor vehicles and there's only so much you can retrofit and redesign to improve facilities for cyclists for something built 40 years ago.

Indeed money talks, but if TFL were found liable for millions, it's only money that would then be pulled out of other budgets (including cycling) next year. In a way, I think everybody would lose then.

Somebody else mentioned a seperate footbridge or overpass for cyclists. That would certainly be money well spent by the looks of it.

 

[Origamist]

I do have to wonder if some of these deaths are not the cyclists fault. We all know those arrogant cyclists that think they own the road, cycling obstructively just because they see them selves as better than everyone else because they cycle. Or maybe just bad judgement on the cyclists part... its not always the vehicles fault

Could you not pollute a rider down thread with this victim blaming rubbish - particularly one where the sister of the victim has posted. Please, show some compassion and human decency.

 

[Twelve Spokes]

I do have to wonder if some of these deaths are not the cyclists fault. We all know those arrogant cyclists that think they own the road, cycling obstructively just because they see them selves as better than everyone else because they cycle. Or maybe just bad judgement on the cyclists part... its not always the vehicles fault

Whatever I think of cyclists sometimes I don't know if I want to believe even red light jumpers think they are better than everyone else and believe me I don't particularly like RLJers but generally tolerate it.Perhaps they don't think or see the risks.(it wont happen to the syndrome).I see lots of dodgy behaviour of filtering up buses and lorries and must get to the front at lights.Some is inexperience.When you have a dodgy return you generally tend to change your behaviour.I just go for the quiet life now and take my time.

Im not accusing anyone in these incidents because we don't actually know the circumstances.

 

[RedRider]

I do have to wonder if some of these deaths are not the cyclists fault. We all know those arrogant cyclists that think they own the road, cycling obstructively just because they see them selves as better than everyone else because they cycle. Or maybe just bad judgement on the cyclists part... its not always the vehicles fault

People make bad judgements all the time no matter how they move around but it's always the heavy vehicle that inflicts the damage.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Could you not pollute a rider down thread with this victim blaming rubbish - particularly one where the sister of the victim has posted. Please, show some compassion and human decency.

Though, to be fair, a few of us, not least myself, have been guilty of discussing the problems caused by the junction and road behaviour on here. We should have started a parallel thread over in commuting, I suppose.

 

[Markymark]

I saw a cyclist this moirning on my commute undertake (no cycle lane) a tipper truck that was indicating to turn left as they both approached the lights. He (I assume he) managed to see her depsite around the blind spot and avoided hitting her. I caught up with her and said that was incredibly lucky and dangerous of her, especially after all the incidents of the last few days. She called me lots of names. I don't mind, I'm thick skinned, but I just hope that maybe she'll think twice about doing it next time. It really could have been another fatality. Cyclist need to be aware around such vehicles as so often these vehicles dont care about vunerable road users. Luckily, this time, one did.

 

[Davidsw8]

To blame a victim seems a pretty futile, if they made a one-off mistake or if they habitually cycle inconsiderately then they've paid for it with their life but it's as much of a tragedy as if they did everything right.

The Bow roundabout aside, there are many problems on London's roads and the majority of these can be solved instantly and cost nothing - if EVERYONE on the roads followed the Highway Code and acted like decent, respectful human beings, we'd all be a lot less stressed and there'd be a massive reduction in injuries and fatalities.

Seriously, I know there are going to be some exceptions, but can't most problems be solved by simply being considerate and doing the right thing?

 

[steveindenmark]

Looking at that video clip, it looks like the cyclist jumped the second light into the oncoming lorry.

It is not all about bad vehicle drivers. There are enough awful cyclists around as well. The only way to solve this problem is to separate cyclists and lorries/buses. How they do that in London is anyone's guess.

But it does nobody any good at all pointing the finger before all the facts are known. I certainly would not trust the newspapers to report the facts.

We have people on here talking about cutting tyres. How childish is that? Some people need to grow up.

Steve