The thin end of the wedge ?

[very-near]

Anyone know anything else about this story ?

A couple of sentences in this report don't sit easily

Director faces bike safety probe
A coroner has summonsed a government director to appear before him to answer questions about plans for ensuring cyclists' safety.

West Somerset coroner Michael Rose said Jon Bright, director of the Government Office for the South West, (GOSW), failed to provide the information.

Mr Rose asked for the details after a cyclist died on Somerset's roads while on a sponsored ride on 2 October 2008.

No-one from GOSW was available for comment.

At the inquest on the death of Graham Lees, 48, of Barford, Warwickshire, on 4 June, Mr Rose said the cyclist would not have died "had cycle traffic been separated from the main carriageway".

Time limits

He also expressed concern about the lack of provision of separate lanes for cycle traffic on A and B roads in Somerset.

"I had, in fact, made this request sometime prior to the inquest but neither my letter then or my recent direction under the Coroners' Rules have been acknowledged by the Government Office," he said.

"Nor have I received a formal reply - notwithstanding the fact that the task of preventing further deaths by coroners was strengthened last year, and is one of the foremost provisions behind the Coroner and Justice Bill now going through Parliament.

"In the circumstances I am therefore formally summonsing the Regional Director of the Government Office for the South West, Mr Jon Bright, to appear before me...to explain why the statutory time limits to deal with my directions has not been complied with."

Mr Bright must appear before Mr Rose at 1400 BST on 20 August in Taunton.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/somerset/8200586.stm

Published: 2009/08/13 21:39:33 GMT

© BBC MMIX

 

[MajorMantra]

Good intentions, poor grasp of the facts. As always.

Ill-informed commentary about cycling safety never really goes away does it?

Matthew

 

[marinyork]

I'm not even sure it sounds well meaning. Such grandiose scheming and umbrage screams to me they sound like they are in it just for the publicity and to inflate their ego. Might be wrong about them but they sound like the sort of person you want as far away from public life as possible.

 

[joolsybools]

And being a Coroner qualifies you in cycle safety exactly how?!

 

[wafflycat]

It could equally be said that the cyclist wouldn't have died if the driver hadn't been there...

The coroner comes across as victim blaming of a very nasty type.

 

[marinyork]

He's right.

The cyclist wouldn't have died if he had been on separate facilities.

He also wouldn't have died if two cars hadn't hit him.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/3132053/Charity-cyclist-killed-in-road-accident.html

He's also right to be concerned about the lack of cycling facilities. I would welcome a separate lane on some of the NSL roads that I've used, and I'm a confident cyclist.

We need more separate lanes for those who aren't confident mixing with 60mph traffic. It's wrong to assume that everyone who wants to cycle should have to. As long as the separation does not lead to a ban on cyclists choosing the road (which it won't) then that's ok.

I suggest a CC trip to Holland to look at the separation there.

It depends what you mean by this. If one meant segregation on very bad A roads (a tiny minority) e.g. A64, A1 or bits of the A61 near me then I think that's fair enough, one has to mostly take into account physical barriers created by such roads, motorways, canals, railways and rivers first though. In anycase for example on the A61 there is a high quality B road alternative running practically parallel so it would not be value for money. That's rather different from babbling on about B roads. That makes the coroner sound like a dictator recalling a general to explain why some deluded pet project hasn't happened yet even though it's practically impossible from a resources point of view. What you and the coroner have said are radically different things.

 

[HJ]

The cyclist wouldn't have died if cars had been banned by I doubt if a coroner would call for that to be done either. Just imagine what would happen if more than five people were killed every day due to car related accidents, you would think coroners would notice the pattern and call for these dangerous items to be removed from the roads...

 

[AnotherEye]

Just imagine what would happen if more than five people were killed every day due to car related accidents

They are (3000 a year).

 

[MajorMantra]

They are (3000 a year).

I think he was being facetious.

Matthew

 

[AnotherEye]

I think he was being facetious.

Matthew

I know, I just wanted to remind people. BTW, the cost to the economy of deaths and serious injuries on the road is estimated to be £19 billion a year!

 

[AnotherEye]

Similar discussion going on at CTC:
http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=28115
Sadly this has echoes of the inquest into Marie Vescos' death (I sat through it for a long and difficult day).
another killer driver let off:
http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=21840
Drivers not complying with the Highway Code. Coroner asks for signs to keep cyclists off the road!
There is nothing democratic about these courts. The facts are established and the the coroner has the last word. Fortunately a coroner can only make recommendations.
In the case of Maries' death; there is a cycle route near the A23 and had it been sign-posted her group would have avoided the busy trunk road where she was killed. She died on the 4th June 08, the inquest was in February and the neccesary signs have still not been put up.

Graham Lees, a 48-year-old father-of-two from Warwick, died on the A38 near Taunton in Somerset when he was struck by two vehicles.:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/3132053/Charity-cyclist-killed-in-road-accident.html
this is really upsetting me; my dear friend Marie Vesco was also struck by 2 vehicles. Does anyone know wether there were any prosecutions in the case of Grahams' death?
Married father-of-two Mr Lees, 48, from Warwick, died after he was in collision with two cars on the A38 at Walford Cross near Taunton in Somerset.:
http://www.lastingtribute.co.uk/tribute/lees/2917964
In reality there may be a case for facilities for cyclist on major trunk roads:
Walford Cross
I would like to get in touch with Grahams' family.

Gerry