HGV Google Map

woodford2barbican

This is a work in progress which should be a powerful resource in bringing people's attention to this issue,

Map of HGV incidents in London

If anyone has any incidents to add, please PM or post. I have left the Blackfriars incident from last week off until I have found media resource or a name.

It is currently only London as 1/3 of the deaths involving cyclists and HGVs occur in London.

woodford2barbican

MUst be a record - 114 views no comments.

prj45

Timely and important piece of work you're doing, but I really felt wierd giving it a "loved it" rating, if you get what I mean.

Difficult subject I guess.

downfader

Slightly disturbing to look at but could be educational. Different coloured pegs could also be used for less serious accidents, perhaps?

UnworthyPapaLazaru

downfader wrote:

Slightly disturbing to look at but could be educational. Different coloured pegs could also be used for less serious accidents, perhaps?

The Edinburgh Evening News ran an article like this a week ago. In fact, Scotlands biggest organised cycle, Pedal for Scotland had taken place the day before. They had one picture of some no mark local radio edjit DJ posing at the end a couple of lines of text. Thats all. Then on the next page they had a double page spread with large colour map about cycling fatalities. The map of central edinburgh marking the events in a very distasteful traffic light colour code. Red = Fatality, Amber = major injuries, green = minor incidents. After all the effort of the PfS event organisers. Getting those 5000 people on thier bikes and a lot of them not regular users. Scaremongering like that by the EEN would have changed the minds of those who thought they would get the bike out a little more oftern in a split second. Pretty poor I thought.

downfader

Hmm I do wonder if a map representing the amount of HGV and larger vehicle usage (rather than just fatalities) might actually allow cyclists to plot their journey safer. :?

woodford2barbican

Having done a little research into this the last few days - the most telling statistic to me is the following.

Whilst deaths and serious injuries of cyclists have been falling over recent years, the number of deaths caused by accidents with HGVs and their like has remained the same. Therefore increasing as an overall percentage of cycling deaths.

To me that quite clearly means this is a problem that is not yet being effectively tackled by any current road safety initiative.

saveswalking

Interesting (if thats the right word) - Female cyclists and Male messengers ?

boybiker

woodford2barbican wrote:

Having done a little research into this the last few days - the most telling statistic to me is the following.

Whilst deaths and serious injuries of cyclists have been falling over recent years, the number of deaths caused by accidents with HGVs and their like has remained the same. Therefore increasing as an overall percentage of cycling deaths.

To me that quite clearly means this is a problem that is not yet being effectively tackled by any current road safety initiative.

I find it interesting that its always assumed to be the fault of the driver of the HGV, however several people have said to me over the last few days that part of the problem at least seems to be with the current high number of new/inexperienced riders in London who don't have the experience when dealing with heavy traffic and have problems knowing how to position themselves properly, also the high numbers of inexperienced riders who take stupid risks in highly dangerous situations. So while I agree that better cycle lanes are clearly a very good idea it might also be a good idea to have easy access to training for new riders.

Jez mon

Yep, I think that sometimes newbie/inexperienced cyclists do get themselves into trouble. However, I think that HGV drivers need to take more care. The whole thing about "if you can't see my mirrors, I can't see you" Screams that they should get slightly better mirrors.

And then there are bendy buses, YAY, dangerous for everyone! and really not suited to London's roads.

Littigator

Don't get me started on those bendy buses, they truly are a nightmare.

I had an altercation with a bendy bus driver on Friday around Trafalgar Square but realised afterwards that it wasn't his driving that I should have copmplaied about as he was blocking two lanes and was stopped through a set of red lights also blocking traffic filtering from another direction, but the fact the the bus itself was responsible for the complete and utter chaos it caused across two junctions!

For training all newbies should be encouraged to do the CTC scheme

http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=4135

lost_in_thought

One of the very best things about moving from North Essex to Ealing has been avoiding the effing bendy buses on my west-west commute. Those bl**dy things used to nearly take me out on a daily basis - I think the drivers must just forget that they are driving TWO BUSES!

*&&*^%%&$^%$^%!!!!

Somebody stop me... I'm in danger of ranting here.... :oops:

woodford2barbican

boybiker wrote:

woodford2barbican wrote:

Having done a little research into this the last few days - the most telling statistic to me is the following.

Whilst deaths and serious injuries of cyclists have been falling over recent years, the number of deaths caused by accidents with HGVs and their like has remained the same. Therefore increasing as an overall percentage of cycling deaths.

To me that quite clearly means this is a problem that is not yet being effectively tackled by any current road safety initiative.

I find it interesting that its always assumed to be the fault of the driver of the HGV, however several people have said to me over the last few days that part of the problem at least seems to be with the current high number of new/inexperienced riders in London who don't have the experience when dealing with heavy traffic and have problems knowing how to position themselves properly, also the high numbers of inexperienced riders who take stupid risks in highly dangerous situations. So while I agree that better cycle lanes are clearly a very good idea it might also be a good idea to have easy access to training for new riders.

This is certainly true and any attempt to reduce the number of deaths of this kind will have to take account of that.

This means education for cyclist & drivers.

It may mean that where the compromise lane of green paint meant to pass for cycling facilities exists they are removed.

It may mean banning cyclists from certain roads or streches of road.

I certainly don't think it is the fault of one group or another, each case is individual - but the overall aim has to be to mitigate the risk and aim to reduce these deaths in line with the overall fall in other cycling deaths.

lost_in_thought

saveswalking wrote:

Interesting (if thats the right word) - Female cyclists and Male messengers ?

I was confused by this at first, but you're right - noteworthy, certainly...