Killed Cyclists in London - new map and spreadstheet

[Richard Mann]

I'd hazard that the vast majority of the fatalities take place on 30mph limit roads.

My hunch would be that they almost all take place on multi-lane roads, where 30mph is rather too notional. And that almost all are near junctions on TfL roads. TfL/TfL junctions are typically horrors that cyclists avoid like the plague - it's the TfL/borough junctions which are probably the biggest risk. But that's only my hunch.

Lorries and buses can kill you at lower speeds (much lower speeds), so speed isn't the only issue. We get a bus/lorry fatality every couple of years in Oxford (fortunately not for a while recently). The bus companies here have done a reasonable job with training their drivers, so it's mainly lorries I worry about.

 

[Origamist]

Olaf, I'll go home and get my vid camera and film the junction from all three approaches and send you the link.

The collision investigators' markings can still be seen in the hatching:

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5XidI1cRmY

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sshyw4H7Hfw

 

[redfalo]

The collision investigators' markings can still be seen in the hatching:

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=d5XidI1cRmY

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=Sshyw4H7Hfw

Many many thanks, Origamist. I'll embedd the vids in my blogpost soon (with a nod to your effort, of course).

I've looked at both vids several times. The collision investigators' markings are in the middle of the road, at about 0.15min in the first vid and around 0.11min in the second, aren't they?

If I get it right, the cyclist was southbound. This probably means the second clip shows her way and the accident happend directly after the pedestrian crossing, before the lines are filtering, right? This means she was probably cycling like the rider right in front of you....

To me, this appears very very odd. To me the road does neither appear particularly dangerours nor busy, especially not on a Sunday morning around 11am.

One thing seems to be sure: This was not one of the typical cycling accidents....

 

[philk56]

There was a small report and appeal from the police for witnesses in tonight's Standard about this tragic accident.

 

[Origamist]

Many many thanks, Origamist. I'll embedd the vids in my blogpost soon (with a nod to your effort, of course).

I've looked at both vids several times. The collision investigators' markings are in the middle of the road, at about 0.15min in the first vid and around 0.11min in the second, aren't they?

If I get it right, the cyclist was southbound. This probably means the second clip shows her way and the accident happend directly after the pedestrian crossing, before the lines are filtering, right? This means she was probably cycling like the rider right in front of you....

To me, this appears very very odd. To me the road does neither appear particularly dangerours nor busy, especially not on a Sunday morning around 11am.

One thing seems to be sure: This was not one of the typical cycling accidents....

Olaf, from the reports on your site it appears that the van was travelling south along Cavendish Road and the collision took place just after the zebra crossing near the junction with Englewood Rd, before the road splits into two lanes. The collision investigators yellow markings start just before the hatched area and continue into it. The video that corresponds to the direction of travel of the van (part of it) is the Abbeville Road to Cavendish Road video:

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sshyw4H7Hfw
. However, it is not clear to me which direction the cyclist was travelling in and I'd rather not speculate.

This section of cycle route 5 (Cavendish Rd) is part of the south circular and it is difficult to negotiate in either direction (even if my vids do not convey the difficulty). Dell has outlined a couple of the problems, but there is also the issue of traffic cutting the corner when joining Cavendish Road from Poynders Road. Traffic speed can also be well in excess of 30mph.

 

[Richard Mann]

Sounds to me like the cyclist was going north in the median, with a view to cutting onto the pavement cycle track at the zebra, and the van pulled out round something stopped on the kerb (maybe adjacent to the pillar box), just south of the crossing.

 

[redfalo]

Sad news, again: Bus killed cyclist on Holloway road, according to the BBC. This is particularly moving for me, because I live literally just around the corner. This is at least the 12th cyclist killed in the capital in 2011, plus at least 2 more just outside of the boundaries of Greater London.

Take care!

 

[Origamist]

Olaf, from the reports on your site it appears that the van was travelling south along Cavendish Road and the collision took place just after the zebra crossing near the junction with Englewood Rd, before the road splits into two lanes. The collision investigators yellow markings start just before the hatched area and continue into it. The video that corresponds to the direction of travel of the van (part of it) is the Abbeville Road to Cavendish Road video:

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sshyw4H7Hfw
. However, it is not clear to me which direction the cyclist was travelling in and I'd rather not speculate.

This section of cycle route 5 (Cavendish Rd) is part of the south circular and it is difficult to negotiate in either direction (even if my vids do not convey the difficulty). Dell has outlined a couple of the problems, but there is also the issue of traffic cutting the corner when joining Cavendish Road from Poynders Road. Traffic speed can also be well in excess of 30mph.

Cyclist killed on stretch of Clapham cycle route identified as dangerous in 2008
The death of a cyclist in Clapham has prompted campaigners to ask why a dangerous cycle route wasn't improved when major problems with the road layout had already been identified by Transport for London.

A 49-year-old female cyclist died instantly after being hit by van on Cavendish Road at around 11am on Sunday 31 July 2011.

An inspection ride that took place in 2008, attended by local London Cycling Campaign members, identified the section of London Cycle Network+ Route 5 (LCN+ 5) between Poynders Road and Abbeville Road as a major problem.

A full review "to determine how the junction should be redesigned" was recommended (CRISP, 24 June 2008).

LCC's Mike Cavenett lives nearby: "This is a junction I avoid because it includes dangerous right turns in both directions. It's long needed a major redesign to reduce danger for cyclists."

The London Cycle Network+ was a project to create a 400-mile citywide network of safe cycle routes.

It was only around 60% finished when cut by Mayor Boris Johnson in 2008, with the incomplete 40% comprising a large number of major barriers to safe cycling.

Anyone with information about the fatal crash should contact the police via AskLambethBoroughCommander@met.police.uk or call 101.

http://lcc.org.uk/articles/cyclist-...m-cycle-route-identified-as-dangerous-in-2008

 

[redfalo]

http://lcc.org.uk/ar...ngerous-in-2008

I officially recant with regard to my previously expressed thoughts that the roads does not look overly dangerous (I removed that passage from my blog post a few days ago after I saw LCCs' statement.


Instead of pondering about a road I've never seen I now quote the LCC.

 

[redfalo]

More bad news: On Monday, a cyclist got killed by a lorry at King's Cross. This crash turns the King's Cross area into a particular death trap: Since 2006, four cyclists were killed in that area. I think the roads urgently need a re-design to make the area less dangerous for cyclists, especially because cycling traffic probably will increase after the opening of the new campus of the University of Arts London north of King's Cross.

I just wrote a blog post about the issue: http://cycling-intelligence.com/2011/10/05/cyclist-killed-at-kings-cross-a-predictable-death/

 

[Richard Mann]

Euston Road carries 60-90,000 motor vehicles per day. That's equivalent to a busy motorway. It'd be horrendously complicated to make a safe passage through the various gyratories, good enough for all cyclists to choose to use.

I really think there has to be a fast parallel alternative, on roads that have been made so that the cyclists have a good level of priority (eliminate unnecessary lights, try for some green waves, make them two-way etc). It needs to be just as fast as going straight down Euston Road (excluding the underpass). It doesn't need to be traffic-free, just not boy-racer territory. TfL needs to be able to impose that on the boroughs.

So while it sticks in the craw a bit, I think Boris needs extra powers.

(TfL also needs to make it possible to cross Euston Road without going round horrendous gyratories, but that's a smaller problem, and one that's already probably in their control)

 

[BluesDave]

I think it may be useful to also display data on people killed driving in London. The problem with these maps is they give the false impression that cycling is somehow quite dangerous when really in comparison to driving cars/motorbikes it's not at all.

I appreciate what your'e saying but is it not the motorised vehicles that are a danger to the cyclist far more than the other cyclists. Could that be the point of the post and trying to get something done about it.

I would like the posters permission to put these links on other social networking sites if he will allow it in order to raise awareness and make people think twice. If I could add this to my new business website which will shortly be under construction I would.

 

[redfalo]

I appreciate what your'e saying but is it not the motorised vehicles that are a danger to the cyclist far more than the other cyclists. Could that be the point of the post and trying to get something done about it.

I would like the posters permission to put these links on other social networking sites if he will allow it in order to raise awareness and make people think twice. If I could add this to my new business website which will shortly be under construction I would.

I'm happy if you link to the map and the table.

 

[Eray]

Dear all,

I wanted to get a deeper understanding of cycling safety in London. This is why I’ve started to collect data on severe and fatal cycling accidents in London since 2006. I've created a spreadsheet on Google Docs and a map showing detailed information about 58 fatal cycling accidents that happened in Greater London since 2006. Data includes information on the type of vehicles involved.

I've summarised my thoughts about this sad topic on my cycling blog.

Comments much appreciated!

Take care
Olaf

 

[mr_cellophane]

I am very surprised that there is nothing around the Stratford gyratory.