French student Philippine De Gerin-Ricard, 20, was knocked down and killed by a lorry outside Aldgate East Tube station as she rode home along the Mayor’s Cycle Superhighway 2 on Whitechapel High Street last Friday evening.
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This follows the deaths of Brian Dorling and Svitlana Tereschenko, both killed at Bow roundabout in 2011.
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The layout of which was changed after the death of Svitlana...
I have seen 6 dead people, my parents and four cyclists. Sadly, Svitlana was one of them
London cyclists have consistently campaigned for improvements in Barclays Superhighway 2 (http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/11901.aspx) and two factors are common to the deaths: lorries and junctions.
From a non-cyclists point of view. Large numbers of cyclists in bus lanes don't work. Buses have to accelerate into bus stops to overtake cyclists, who then have to pull out around buses. --- Cyclists should either be directed onto parallel quieter roads (without bus routes) OR have their own dedicated cycle path with a kerb separating them from the carriageway (both possible for large sections of this route ), AND cycle priority traffic lights to get them out of the way of traffic.
Whilst I would not blame the deaths of any of the cyclists mentioned on their own behaviour, we do have to look at cycling standards.
Cyclists have to learn to cycle responsibly too. Lorries turning left can't see them. cyclists sneaking by risk being killed. I was marooned in the middle of the carriageway, crossing Kingsland Road, as bikes emerged from behind a south-bound bus and jumped the red light. because of the bus, they could not see me trying to cross the road from west to east on the south side of the junction and - at the speed they were travelling, could not - or would not - stop. I shrugged to the bus driver as lights turned from red to green and I was still stuck in the middle of the road, in his way....
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So in addition to making Barclays Cycle Superhighways safer, I would argue that all cyclists should have to pass a proficiency test before taking to the streets, and wear a high-visibility vest with their unique index number on it. Bad cyclists could then be directed to go on a course and re-take their cycling proficiency, if they do jump lights or sneak up on the inside of lorries. It's not about law and rights -- it is about staying alive.
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| Picture from http://www.itv.com/news/london/story/2013-07-06/boris-bike-cyclist-death/#more-details-on-death-of-boris-bike-cyclist_227221 |
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| from http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/mother-of-boris-bike-death-cyclist-slams-suicide-junction-8704875.html |
View Larger Map
This follows the deaths of Brian Dorling and Svitlana Tereschenko, both killed at Bow roundabout in 2011.
View Larger Map
The layout of which was changed after the death of Svitlana...
I have seen 6 dead people, my parents and four cyclists. Sadly, Svitlana was one of them
London cyclists have consistently campaigned for improvements in Barclays Superhighway 2 (http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/11901.aspx) and two factors are common to the deaths: lorries and junctions.
From a non-cyclists point of view. Large numbers of cyclists in bus lanes don't work. Buses have to accelerate into bus stops to overtake cyclists, who then have to pull out around buses. --- Cyclists should either be directed onto parallel quieter roads (without bus routes) OR have their own dedicated cycle path with a kerb separating them from the carriageway (both possible for large sections of this route ), AND cycle priority traffic lights to get them out of the way of traffic.
Whilst I would not blame the deaths of any of the cyclists mentioned on their own behaviour, we do have to look at cycling standards.
Cyclists have to learn to cycle responsibly too. Lorries turning left can't see them. cyclists sneaking by risk being killed. I was marooned in the middle of the carriageway, crossing Kingsland Road, as bikes emerged from behind a south-bound bus and jumped the red light. because of the bus, they could not see me trying to cross the road from west to east on the south side of the junction and - at the speed they were travelling, could not - or would not - stop. I shrugged to the bus driver as lights turned from red to green and I was still stuck in the middle of the road, in his way....
View Larger Map
So in addition to making Barclays Cycle Superhighways safer, I would argue that all cyclists should have to pass a proficiency test before taking to the streets, and wear a high-visibility vest with their unique index number on it. Bad cyclists could then be directed to go on a course and re-take their cycling proficiency, if they do jump lights or sneak up on the inside of lorries. It's not about law and rights -- it is about staying alive.
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