Another Cyclist Down...

Chriscommuter · June 2007

Looks like she was left hooked..let hope she recovers.

http://www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/news ... spital.php

17 years commuting up and down the King's Road and i still don't get faster...

Tynancp · June 2007

'The cyclist was travelling on the left of the truck. "The truck went to turn left ...'

so riding inside a truck approaching a left turn, some of those trucks have appalling blind spots

fingers crossed she;s ok natch

Eat My Dust · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Tynan

'The cyclist was travelling on the left of the truck. "The truck went to turn left ...'

so riding inside a truck approaching a left turn, some of those trucks have appalling blind spots

fingers crossed she;s ok natch
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

There's nothing in the report that suggests she was going up the inside of the HGV. It could have been that the lorry had overtaken her. I don't know about you but I always ride on the left side of vehicles as they overtake me!!

SNAPS

redshift · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Tynan

'The cyclist was travelling on the left of the truck. "The truck went to turn left ...'

so riding inside a truck approaching a left turn, some of those trucks have appalling blind spots

fingers crossed she;s ok natch
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Or perhaps simply riding on the road and overtaken by a driver who wasn't actually paying any attention to the cyclist? The article doesn't make that clear at all.

<edit>beaten to it!</edit>
L
[:)]

Windcheetah 176
http://www.redshift.uklinux.net/
...handbuilt by daleks...

Alcdrewcp · June 2007

The article doesn't make anything clear apart from the fact it was writen by a car driver. Seemed more concerned about the traffic jams it caused then about the poor girl that had, had a lorry drive over the top of her.

______________________________________________________________
This is where my witty Elephant prase would be. But Zebra's are so much better.

Jacomus-rides-Gen · June 2007

We are so sickeningly vulnerable, and so few drivers give a damn. It really f**ks me off that this kind of 'left-hook' accident happens time and again.

Yes, sure, sometimes a numpty cyclist will ride up the inside of a left turning vehicle, but that doesn't abdicate the driver from some responsibility. Surely as this happens again and again it can't be the cyclist in the wrong every time?

In terms of CCTV cameras to head of population, IIRC we are the second highest only to Monaco, why not push for number 1 and monitor all junctions.

If that truck driver did indeed overtake the cyclist and left-hook her, why is he allowed to keep driving without re-taking his driving test and HGV licence - surely he has proved beyond reasonable doubt that he is not competent at the wheel. Same goes for any licensed vehicle, if you damage, kill or maim you need to re-take your test to get that privilege back - driving is not a right.

Obviously there are genuine accidents, but there are not very many cases where you can say that no-one was at fault.

I would dearly like to see a survey of drivers who have had accidents involving cyclists, shown as the number of drivers who are cyclists themselves vs. non-cyclists.

_________________________
Quote: "25mph is pretty fast when you aren't wearing a car..."

Regulator · June 2007

*Round of applause, nay - a standing ovation, for Jacomus*

Couldn't have said it better myself Jacomus!

___________________________
Bugger elephants - capabari are cuter!

Tynancp · June 2007

maybe the truck did pass her but I'd expect the driver to see the cyclist then

if she came up the inside of him as he slowed for the turn, that's a likely accident

balance of probability is all I'm guessing at

it's the one that gives me ad dabs every time, people going up the inside of large vehicles with complete disregard for junctions and what the large vehicle might do, had a closish one a long time ago with a truck not only turning left, that was ok, but with rear steering, I was disinterestedly reading the notice on the back of the truck as I resisted the temptation to get right behind him, as I realsied what rear steering was he turned left, which would have been lethal for anyone riding inside the truck at any point

Totalnewbie · June 2007

I hope she recovers. I lived in East Sheen when I got my first (adult) bike to save me the boring walk to uni...lots of HGVs on that route. My driving instructor used to shout at me for letting them bully me out of my lane!

Wtf is the journalist writing about how the pupils behaved, how is that relevant? Obviously a bit desperate for a quote.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/ ... 400572.jpg

Gussio · June 2007

I ride this stretch of road each day and the traffic can move quickly when freeflowing. There are often large lorries sqeezing through what are actually quite narrow lanes. If the road gets congested, all sorts of stupid driving happens. You can't win.

Hope that she is OK.

DavidTQ · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Tynan

maybe the truck did pass her but I'd expect the driver to see the cyclist then

if she came up the inside of him as he slowed for the turn, that's a likely accident

balance of probability is all I'm guessing at

it's the one that gives me ad dabs every time, people going up the inside of large vehicles with complete disregard for junctions and what the large vehicle might do, had a closish one a long time ago with a truck not only turning left, that was ok, but with rear steering, I was disinterestedly reading the notice on the back of the truck as I resisted the temptation to get right behind him, as I realsied what rear steering was he turned left, which would have been lethal for anyone riding inside the truck at any point
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Vehicles seeing you in no way whatsoever stops them doing something utterly stupid in trying to save a few seconds on their way to the next set of lights.

I had an incident this morning in primary position pedalling hard up hill indicating to go right and as I turn right a pillock in a white van tries to over take me [:(!] So he could get to back the queue 20m away.

Every day I see drivers coming with feet of a head on collision with oncoming traffic to overtake me just to sit at a setof lights.

Drivers see a cyclist and feel they have to be in front, even if they are turning left and see you they will still ignore the highway code overtake and then turn left expecting you to have stayed exactly where you were as they overtook, forgetting entirely that you are also moving...

I see far too many drivers doing stupid things trying to "save" seconds when seeing a cyclist in front of them to believe that cyclists are at fault in the majority of cases.

Jacomus-rides-Gen · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">By DavidTQ
I see far too many drivers doing stupid things trying to "save" seconds when seeing a cyclist in front of them to believe that cyclists are at fault in the majority of cases.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Yes, its great isn't it. Car rear-ends another car and it is allways the following car's fault, no matter what the first car did.

But hit a cyclist, and they must have been in the way.

Aah, how the march of technological progress has sidelined anything that does not require an artificial power source. (Not saying its all bad of course!)

_________________________
Quote: "25mph is pretty fast when you aren't wearing a car..."

The Endorser · June 2007

The old left hook is how I had my smack. The impatient old giffer bust a gut to overtake and then turned left into her driveway, misjudged it and then proceeded to park a Ford Grandad on my pelvis. Impatience. In another 1 second, that is a single second, i'd have ben past and she could have turned in behind me.

Eating baby elephants since 1969

timmins · June 2007

Please excuse the long and London-centred post.

I don't wish to make any assumptions about the nature of this particular accident. However, "the left-turning truck" issue is causing me a lot of concern. This is for three reasons:

(1) the high number of casualties,
(2) the large numbers of tipper lorries in central London (as Bill pointed out on another board because of the Olympics, but also because of the Kings Cross redevelopment),
(3) the increasing numbers of commuting cyclists.

This problem is only going to get worse, and it's frustrating because it's largely preventable. These are not random freak accidents.

Whether or not a particular accident is the fault of the cyclist or the driver, both are in a position to anticipate and prevent it. Unfortunately, our influence over drivers is practically nil, but maybe there's some way we can educate other commuters about the dangers of blindly following the cycle lane up to the ASL.

The only thing I can think of is signs on lamp-posts approaching junctions to warn cyclists of what they are doing. I'm hesitant to say it, but I also think the cycle lanes are causing people to develop bad habits and should be removed.

Anyway, if Bill's got any ideas I'd like to help.

Roastie · June 2007

timmins, good ideas in there!

BentMikey · June 2007

Here's my effort to help:

http://www.londonskaters.com/cycling/sa ... hicles.htm

My bikes
My skates

If I had a baby elephant, I'd teach it to skate.

Gavin Gilbert · June 2007

FFS[:(!] check out the comment on the OP from 'Jeremy Clarkson'

I've reported it as offensive, feel free to join me

<hr noshade size="1">
'Cause I'm a lover not a fighter
Yes, I'm a lover not a fighter
Yes, I'm a lover not a fighter
And I'm really built for speed
Built for speed

Ravenbait · June 2007

Er... what?

Sam

The cross product of Tank Girl and Ellen Ripley:

http://ravenfamily.org
"You might remember that 'annoyed' is my natural state!"

http://gentlemencyclists.org/clubhouse
"Ya'd think we could just attract ants, like normal people."

Buggi · June 2007

is it not the duty of the driver to check his left mirror anymore when turning left? o sorry, my mistake, they just put it on the car to make it look pretty don't they. or as my ex once said to me when i questioned why his mirror was looking at the floor... "i thought that mirror was for watching the kerb when you park".

"the lorry went forwards and then went backwards"

Running her over once wasn't enough then?

_____________________________________________

To infinity... and beyond!
my epic adventure: www.action.org.uk/~Antonia

Gavin Gilbert · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Ravenbait

Er... what?

Sam

The cross product of Tank Girl and Ellen Ripley:

http://ravenfamily.org
"You might remember that 'annoyed' is my natural state!"

http://gentlemencyclists.org/clubhouse
"Ya'd think we could just attract ants, like normal people."
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

sorry, wasn't clear about it - the comment on the link

<hr noshade size="1">
'Cause I'm a lover not a fighter
Yes, I'm a lover not a fighter
Yes, I'm a lover not a fighter
And I'm really built for speed
Built for speed

Buffalo Bill · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by timmins

Please excuse the long and London-centred post.

I don't wish to make any assumptions about the nature of this particular accident. However, "the left-turning truck" issue is causing me a lot of concern. This is for three reasons:

(1) the high number of casualties,
(2) the large numbers of tipper lorries in central London (as Bill pointed out on another board because of the Olympics, but also because of the Kings Cross redevelopment),
(3) the increasing numbers of commuting cyclists.

This problem is only going to get worse, and it's frustrating because it's largely preventable. These are not random freak accidents.

Whether or not a particular accident is the fault of the cyclist or the driver, both are in a position to anticipate and prevent it. Unfortunately, our influence over drivers is practically nil, but maybe there's some way we can educate other commuters about the dangers of blindly following the cycle lane up to the ASL.

The only thing I can think of is signs on lamp-posts approaching junctions to warn cyclists of what they are doing. I'm hesitant to say it, but I also think the cycle lanes are causing people to develop bad habits and should be removed.

Anyway, if Bill's got any ideas I'd like to help.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

http://www.movingtargetzine.com/article ... gar-square

Buffalo Bill supports
the Bicycle Messenger Emergency Fund
Editor, Moving Target, the world's most useless courier zine
Brixton Cycling Club
some snaps

Another Cyclist Down...

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