Woman cyclist killed in Victoria (tipper truck)

[mjr]

I came past the accident site just after it happened last week on my way into work. This morning, lots of Police / Community Support Officers are out grabbing cyclists who are breaking rules. Saw one guy on a Boris bike being reprimanded for going the wrong way down a one way street, and a little further on, another cyclist being hauled over for jumping a red light.

Was there any suggestion that the casualty in this incident was going the wrong way or had jumped the red light? I think it would be a much better use of P/CSO time to reprimand some of the amazing number of red-light-jumping motorists and to haul over some trucks for safety checks. Heck, even dealing with some of the bad lane discipline (overtaking on left, overtaking without proper space, harassing slower vehicles in front) would make more sense than tackling contraflow cycling (should be allowed in most places anyway) or red-light jumping (should be early-start cycle greens on more London junctions anyway).

 

[Boo]

As far as I know, and have read, no, the cyclist wasn't going the wrong way, and hadn't jumped any red lights. There's a suggestion that she was using a phone at the time, and not demonstrating sensible roadcraft, but I don't know, so can't say for sure.

I can see that there will have been a meeting over the past few days, and the Police will have thought 'We need to be seen to be doing something', but I completely agree - doing some spot checks on motorists wouldn't have gone amiss. Although you can't direct a tipper truck onto the pavement, and so difficult to do without causing disruption.

 

[MichaelO]

I can see that there will have been a meeting over the past few days, and the Police will have thought 'We need to be seen to be doing something',

The current extra policing at junctions & spot checks have been in place for a couple of weeks now - I don't think it's directly related to this incident. I definitely saw more police on junctions this morning though (Tooting as well as central London), and two tipper trucks being pulled in for checks.

 

[mjr]

Although you can't direct a tipper truck onto the pavement, and so difficult to do without causing disruption.

Exactly. It's hard but it could be done if there was a will - the left-turning ones will be going along the rather wide Victoria Street where I'd expect space for spot-checks could be cleared. Instead, it sounds like they're doing something easy but useless. That's worse than a waste of resources: it's actively making things even slower for a mode of transport that government claims to want to encourage.

 

[subaqua]

The current extra policing at junctions & spot checks have been in place for a couple of weeks now - I don't think it's directly related to this incident. I definitely saw more police on junctions this morning though (Tooting as well as central London), and two tipper trucks being pulled in for checks.

last time there was extra policing I got stopped and they had a chat , I hadn't done anything wrong but they were advising people on what had happened at similar junctions. they did pull a few for bad cycling and bad driving

 

[w00hoo_kent]

last time there was extra policing I got stopped and they had a chat , I hadn't done anything wrong but they were advising people on what had happened at similar junctions. they did pull a few for bad cycling and bad driving

I could see this making me grumpy, if I'm cycling where this is likely to happen then I'm trying to get somewhere and probably care about the time I arrive. While I'd know it would be counter-productive, being asked to stop to talk about what I might have been doing wrong if I was riding differently could easily result in tetchiness.

 

[subaqua]

I could see this making me grumpy, if I'm cycling where this is likely to happen then I'm trying to get somewhere and probably care about the time I arrive. While I'd know it would be counter-productive, being asked to stop to talk about what I might have been doing wrong if I was riding differently could easily result in tetchiness.

I was in work so being paid to cycle between jobs. I was complimented on wearing bright clothes and having bright lights and a helmet, all I replied with is that none of that is a legal requirement , best to have a chek of some cars at random - like the one that went past me on Aldgate gyratory with the driver on the phone-

 

[Roadrider48]

Whatever the circumstances it's a sad, terrible thing.
My thoughts go to the family of the deceased and the driver of the truck alike.

 

[XRHYSX]

And the lorry even had the big 'don't overtake on the left' sticker on it.

It will never stop being the case that 'some people are idiots, and some of them ride bicycles.'

And some of them drive tipper trucks, and sometimes the two meet,
Whilst there are roads and whilst people operate machines (be it a push bike or anything bigger) there will always be room for human error

 

[PK99]

And some of them drive tipper trucks, and sometimes the two meet,
Whilst there are roads and whilst people operate machines (be it a push bike or anything bigger) there will always be room for human error

Sometimes there is error on both sides. Sometimes one sides only. sometimes the driver. Sometimes the cyclist.

 

[zimzum42]

But always one is big and dangerous and the other isn't. For that reason the big and dangerous party should have a correspondingly greater duty of care.

They do - they have to take a load of tests and there's a bunch of rules about what equipment the vehicle needs to have fitted.
Cyclists can just jump on a bike and go.
That's the way it should be, and there will always be accidents. It's one of the prices we pay to have a thriving city that attracts people from all over the world.

 

[glenn forger]

If inexperienced cyclists is a factor in KSI stats it's curious that Boris bikes are safer than "normal" bikes. Mistakes, rash behaviour or illegal activities by cyclists are not a significant causal factor in ksi rtcs.

 

[zimzum42]

So damn eristic...

 

[Deleted member 26715]

All well and good but that doesn't discharge the duty of care.

You clearly know rock all about this, but yet you bang the drum that all tipper drivers are killers, change the record it's getting boring.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Read the thread back through its what you have insinuated at every opportunity including to a lady who's husband drives one