# Cyclist down Blackfriars Bridge this morning



## coshgirl (12 Sep 2008)

Just had the following in an email from a friend. Hope the woman is okay :-( 
"I saw the most horrid cycle accident this morning and I still feel really shaken. This poor girl went under and lorry at the Blackfriars bridge and the wheel was on top of her pelvis. She was screaming so much to get it off her, but there was nothing the driver could do until the fire crew arrived as it was on a slope." If anyone hears anything else, let me know so I can tell my friend.


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## spindrift (12 Sep 2008)

Oh Christ


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## coshgirl (12 Sep 2008)

[SIZE=-2]*A201 [Blackfriars Road] *London
northbound between A3200, Southwark Street, London and A3211, Queen Victoria Street, City Of London [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-2]*closed affecting bridge *
A201 London - Bridge closed on Blackfriars Road northbound between the A3200 Southwark Street junction and the A3211 Queen Victoria Street junction, because of an accident.

Last updated: 12th September 2008 at 11:16[/SIZE]


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## domtyler (12 Sep 2008)

Another cyclist who collided with a lorry then!


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## spindrift (12 Sep 2008)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/webcams/543601.shtml


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## ChrisKH (12 Sep 2008)

Jesus wept. I hope she gets through it. Notorious black spot for "incidents" there, you only have to google Blackfriars Bridge and Cyclists.


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## spindrift (12 Sep 2008)

All bridges in The City have a bad reputation. Drivers put their foot down.


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## stephenb (12 Sep 2008)

poor girl. absolutely sickening


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## Origamist (12 Sep 2008)

domtyler said:


> Another cyclist who collided with a lorry then!



As 2012 approaches the amount of industrial traffic on the roads is only going to increase. Let's hope cyclist KSI rates don't spike as well.


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## Tynan (12 Sep 2008)

very nasty

although I don't recall any problems when I've ridden Blackfriars bridge

i suppose that when you;re riding the dodgier junctions and sections, any weakness in technique/style makes you vulnerable


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## spindrift (12 Sep 2008)

_although I don't recall any problems when I've ridden Blackfriars bridge_

They scrapped the daft cycle lane between lanes after Vicky McCreery's death there.


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## domtyler (12 Sep 2008)

Origamist said:


> As 2012 approaches the amount of industrial traffic on the roads is only going to increase. Let's hope cyclist KSI rates don't spike as well.



I live a mile or two away from the Olympic zone, there are whole areas that are now effectively off limits for cycling as far as I'm concerned. When I bought my wife her bike we came home together and I took her along Temple Mills road which used to be pretty quiet the last time I'd ridden along there but she ended up being terrified out of her skin by all the construction lorries thundering past inches from her elbow!


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## spindrift (12 Sep 2008)

_I live a mile or two away from the Olympic zone, there are whole areas that are now effectively off limits for cycling as far as I'm concerned._

Ditto, and the new access road on The Eastway is covered in muck and mud now!


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## Tynan (12 Sep 2008)

i rode it a far bit all of a month ago, roadworks on the southbound side?

and every other vehicle some sort of construction hgv


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## spindrift (12 Sep 2008)

_roadworks on the southbound side?_

here


http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.s...=4&ar=Y&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf


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## Jake (12 Sep 2008)

Not had any problems there myself, but will def' take more care now. does anyoen know where abouts on the bridge, the lead up or off the bridge? is there a particaulr bad point which one should take more care? Hope it wasnt the one with the fat bum.


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## spindrift (12 Sep 2008)

All London's bridges arch, so if the road was sloping it must be the southbound descent, judging from the trafcam. What a ahorrible story, I feel sick, anyone heard anything please?


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## Sittingduck (12 Sep 2008)

Sounds horrific, I really hope the girl makes a recovery. 

I cycle over Blackfirars Bridge Northbound each morning and have never seen any problems there but I typically cross at 6 or 7am. There are a lot of new roadworks happening in the past couple of days on the junction at the north side.

The remarks that have been made about it being a blackspot and what has happened today might send a bit of a shiver down my spine when I come across it on Monday (decided to take the bus on a Friday for going out after work reasons).


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## hackbike 6 (12 Sep 2008)

I remember a few years back with a bus and a cyclist a workmate was a paramedic at the time and said he attended the incident.I still remember the cyclists bag in the road and the bus stopped.That must have been the late 90's.

Yeah I remember there used to be the turn off where you could go up to Waterloo via the OXO building.


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## spindrift (12 Sep 2008)

Seriously injured but stable, according to Evening Standard, they are trying to get an interview with her for Monday's paper.


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## Jake (12 Sep 2008)

sounds like a war zone, everyone fighting for the roads. Mad Max!


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## hackbike 6 (12 Sep 2008)

I cycle over it at various times,I was also carrying a back wheel and three tyres when I cycled over it the other night.


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## Tynan (12 Sep 2008)

that's the one, southbound was always ok as long as you got over for the lights at the other end (I used to turn right on Southwark Road a bit further)

northbound most certainly need attention focussed, a primary near the end was defo called for and the exit to the left after the bridge proper always looked ludicrous as regards danger, yeah, northbound wasn't good, I used to use the buslane bit rather than have to merge into the single lane for cars, even then you had to be careful when you rejoined the two lanes going towards Liverpool Street as cars turning left would cut across, bad route for bikes without a shadow


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## domtyler (12 Sep 2008)

Sounds like one situation where jumping the red lights might just save your life.


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## Jake (12 Sep 2008)

dont let bent here you say that.


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## Sittingduck (12 Sep 2008)

When exiting the bridge southbound on my way home I cross at the pelican crosssing (bike friendly one) and turn right down Upper Ground St, I believe it's called. Wouldn't fancy heading straight on there towards The Cut and Stamford St.


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## Jake (12 Sep 2008)

you know the lights at the end of the south run. Where you can go over the bike crossing to your right. Its always a bit hairy turning right as you say. Question/comment/point is, you got traffic lights there, green for straight on and a arrow for right. You can only go right when the arrow is gree yeah? so why the other did was some black cab daffodil tooting his horn at me to go?


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## spindrift (12 Sep 2008)

London Bridge is similar- I've had run ins with cabbies there.


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## 4F (12 Sep 2008)

Jake said:


> you know the lights at the end of the south run. Where you can go over the bike crossing to your right. Its always a bit hairy turning right as you say. Question/comment/point is, you got traffic lights there, green for straight on and a arrow for right. You can only go right when the arrow is gree yeah? so why the other did was some black cab daffodil tooting his horn at me to go?



I may be wrong but I was under the impression that with a green light for straight on and in the absence of a red light on the right turn you can cross if safe to do so. The presence of the green arrow on the right turn is an indication to you that the signal is red for oncomming traffic.


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## Jake (12 Sep 2008)

oh right. I have gone if its safe sometimes, but that junction is a night mare with traffic coming at speed from all angles. I tend to be happier just to wait till its green and 100% safe. maybe its safer to use the crossing bit on the right.


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## Molecule Man (12 Sep 2008)

That junction seems to be particularly bad for RLJing by motorists. I usually go through eastwards across Blackfriars Road, and almost every time there are vehicles (mainly taxis) still turning right from Blackfriars Road southbound lane after the eastbound lights have turned green. And it's not just dummies who have managed to park themselves in the middle of the junction, you see them accelerating from well before the lights after the lights have changed.

I hope the victim makes a good recovery both physically and mentally, the incident sounds quite nightmarish.


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## Dayvo (12 Sep 2008)

Another terrible tragic unnecessary accident. 

Yous lot take it easy out there!


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## hackbike 6 (13 Sep 2008)

I crossed over Blackfriars Bridge at 2350 last night,coming up from the ITV studios or whatever they are and the OXO tower and as I looked right I saw a paramedics car at the junction in the westerly direction.I thought there had been an accident down there.

As I turned left to go towards Blackfriars I noticed a bus near the lights and a lorry to the right and a black cab to the left with a policeman who was packing heat.

The black cab was just past the lights.

The cop gave me a puzzled look but I just whizzed off through the (green) lights which had just changed.I didn't really suss at the time what was going on.

Possibly recreating the scene?



domtyler said:


> Sounds like one situation where jumping the red lights might just save your life.



I've been crossing it and the other bridges for years...generally I do Southwark Bridge...and sometimes Blackfriars Bridge...did use Waterloo Bridge at one time but had to use the steps to get down to the lower level so I stopped using it.

I have varying tactics for using Blackfriars Bridge depending on traffic volume and Speed.I remember the olde cycle lane but I never used it,but I did see a nightmare once with a cyclist using it and a car trying to weave round him this way and that luckily cyclist was ok...It was a real nightmare.

The road layout down the bottom (Blackfriars end)seems to be a nightmare for cyclists and is also where I had the run in with the motorist who almost ran me off the road.Lets just say he used his vehicle aggressively against me while on his mobile.I should hae taken his number and a picture on my mobile.


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## rootes (13 Sep 2008)

domtyler said:


> I live a mile or two away from the Olympic zone, there are whole areas that are now effectively off limits for cycling as far as I'm concerned. When I bought my wife her bike we came home together and I took her along Temple Mills road which used to be pretty quiet the last time I'd ridden along there but she ended up being terrified out of her skin by all the construction lorries thundering past inches from her elbow!



well I am involved with Olympic related development with my work and i use my brompton to get out to the park and surrounds from central london - byy far the easiest and quickest way...



as for blackfriars bridge - i find going north good - south not so good, but aonly as need to cross over/turn right to get to waterloo...

but now i use waterloo bridge north and south - seems quicker for my journey from waterloo to holborn circus


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## Blackandblue (18 Sep 2008)

The signs appealing for witnesses went up this morning. Almost a full week after the incident....

Also on a morning when traffic was seriously clogged around that area due to road closures after a cyclist was taken out at Southwark Bridge.

I don't know about anyone else but after a sustained period of incident free cycling (and indeed feeling as though people on the roads are generally being quite considerate), latterly I've witnessed and experienced some really bad behaviour amongst all road users (lorries, black cabs, buses, cars, scooterists, motorcyclists and cyclists). It's alomst a daily event these days.


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## BentMikey (18 Sep 2008)

All this bad driving and attitude is normal around the equinox. It'll die down soon, with a resurgence when the clocks change, and be back again in March.


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