Another rider down - Vauxhall

BigLights

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/c ... 68803.html

RIP. Too many of these.

Anonymous

Traffic was at a standstill going southbound over Vauxhall bridge around 8.10 this am, I was wondering what could have caused it. There was also a few sirens to be heard.

RIP.

warreng

Think it happened about 7.05 - The road was still closed at 8.35

I hate that junction with a passion and I've seen so many near misses over the years there

RIP

menthel

RIP. Something needs to be done- it must be obvious even to a politician that lorries as they are currently designed and operated are a danger to other road users.

ugo.santalucia

Vauxhall is hell and lorries are a danger... however, until you get the details, it's hard to put the blame on the lorry.
Some cyclists don't seem to get the point across that a lorry needs some significant space for manouvering... you can't get close to the damn things, unless they are stuck in traffic and you are 100% sure they can't go anywhere

menthel

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Vauxhall is hell and lorries are a danger... however, until you get the details, it's hard to put the blame on the lorry.
Some cyclists don't seem to get the point across that a lorry needs some significant space for manouvering... you can't get close to the damn things, unless they are stuck in traffic and you are 100% sure they can't go anywhere

Not blaming the driver, just current regulation and lorry design. The overwhelming pattern is of cyclists being killed by lorries (tippers in particular) and that does indicate that something should be done. It may be the cyclists fault sometimes but better visibility and design may decrease deaths.

Personally I give lorries (and buses, coaches and women in chelsea tractors) a wide berth all the time.

bigmat

Is there any need for that lazy sexism in this thread (or anywhere else?) :roll:

menthel

BigMat wrote:

Is there any need for that lazy sexism in this thread (or anywhere else?) :roll:

I could be ageist too if you want and include old people as another group I am careful around but this is from experience and not lazy stereotyping. Lets leave it there though as you are right, this probably isn't the thread to discuss such issues in.

MrSweary

Crap. I came through Vauxhall around that time but before the accident and it was solid both ways.

bigmat

menthel wrote:

BigMat wrote:

Is there any need for that lazy sexism in this thread (or anywhere else?) :roll:

I could be ageist too if you want and include old people as another group I am careful around but this is from experience and not lazy stereotyping. Lets leave it there though as you are right, this probably isn't the thread to discuss such issues in.

Yep, ignore me. RIP, hope it gets properly investigated and dealt with appropriately.

raymondo60

Very heavy morning. I came through Vauxhall about 9:30 - traffic was gridlocked from Clapham Common onwards, so bad that even us cyclists were held up. I ride through Vauxhall Cross twice a day; in the mornings a quick and straight sprint across from Wandsworth Road to the Albert Embankment, but in the evenings I would never ride around the one-way system - its just too scary. I use the bus-lane through the middle, or the cycle-path across the north side, past St George Wharf. A terrible way to start the week. RIP and God Bless to all......

fat_tail

Awful news. RIP to the cyclist and condolences to his family and friends.

that's a terrible bit of road. I used to go round the Vauxhall one system heading west from the City and always thought it was very dicey. too many lanes and too many cars/lorries/buses crossing over not knowing where they should be. Even driving a car round there can be stressful.

Again, terrible news.

smokey_bacon

Damn, RIP.

DonDaddyD

R.I.P

I have to say that recently, this year mostly, I feel less safe/assured on my bike than I have done any year previous (up to 2006, which predates the superhighways).

Maybe it's the volume of traffic, the type of vehicles, me aging or any combination of the above but generally speaking I don't feel as safe on the roads.

R.I.P

asprilla

menthel wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Vauxhall is hell and lorries are a danger... however, until you get the details, it's hard to put the blame on the lorry.
Some cyclists don't seem to get the point across that a lorry needs some significant space for manouvering... you can't get close to the damn things, unless they are stuck in traffic and you are 100% sure they can't go anywhere

Not blaming the driver, just current regulation and lorry design. The overwhelming pattern is of cyclists being killed by lorries (tippers in particular) and that does indicate that something should be done. It may be the cyclists fault sometimes but better visibility and design may decrease deaths.

Personally I give lorries (and buses, coaches and women in chelsea tractors) a wide berth all the time.

I don't think design and visibility will solve the tipper truck problem. The fact is that most tipper and skip lorries are paid by the delivery, not by the day, and so if they are slow they loose money and if they can shave a bit if time here and there then they might make more.

It's no coincidence that cyclist biggest nemisisisisis are tippers, skip lorries and taxis; all the guys who get paid more to fit more jobs I to the day.

asprilla

Asprilla wrote:

menthel wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Vauxhall is hell and lorries are a danger... however, until you get the details, it's hard to put the blame on the lorry.
Some cyclists don't seem to get the point across that a lorry needs some significant space for manouvering... you can't get close to the damn things, unless they are stuck in traffic and you are 100% sure they can't go anywhere

Not blaming the driver, just current regulation and lorry design. The overwhelming pattern is of cyclists being killed by lorries (tippers in particular) and that does indicate that something should be done. It may be the cyclists fault sometimes but better visibility and design may decrease deaths.

Personally I give lorries (and buses, coaches and women in chelsea tractors) a wide berth all the time.

I don't think design and visibility will solve the tipper truck problem. The fact is that most tipper and skip lorries are paid by the delivery, not by the day, and so if they are slow they loose money and if they can shave a bit if time here and there then they might make more.

It's no coincidence that cyclist biggest nemisisisisis are tippers, skip lorries and taxis; all the guys who get paid more to fit more jobs into the day.

The Rookie

Of course tipper lorries (and other construction specific) also have the issue that they mostly have no side protection, so where a similar collision with a normal lorry may leave you knocked off and heart in your mouth, with the tipper you go straight into the side and under the rear wheels.

raymondo60

Just getting ready for my ride home through Vauxhall Cross. It will be a sombre journey tonight, thinking about the poor man who died today.....

Squawk

Used to live 10 mins walk from there, awful road. Motorists routinely have no clue what lane to be in, it was bad enough for me and I knew it well.

That said, the worst bit IMO is actually the other end, coming off Vauxhall bridge and then going under the bridge turning right. EVERYONE gets that wrong, and I expected the crash to be there.

Boris ought to ride his bike round the thing once during rush hour. Things would then change.

itboffin

Sadly we have so many insanely dangerous junctions and pitch points in London, I think you're on the right track with making Boris and all of the TFL management ride to work for an unspecified period, that would give them a different view on the suitability of our road transport network.

Hell there could even be one or two politicians young enough to join the party

rjsterry

Very sad news. I was going to head through that way this morning, but got diverted up to Kennington by a road closure at Stockwell. I'd agree that there is a lot of lane changing, due to confusion over which lane to take for which exit.

oneiroi

Squawk wrote:

Used to live 10 mins walk from there, awful road. Motorists routinely have no clue what lane to be in, it was bad enough for me and I knew it well.

That said, the worst bit IMO is actually the other end, coming off Vauxhall bridge and then going under the bridge turning right. EVERYONE gets that wrong, and I expected the crash to be there.

Boris ought to ride his bike round the thing once during rush hour. Things would then change.

People don't get that bit wrong, they're just fecking impatient. The junction design exacerbates that impatience.I wouldn't ride through there if I couldn't accelerate out of blind spots. The 'marked' cycle path doesn't help matters much either.

oneiroi

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.48507 ... a=!3m1!1e3
For those unfamiliar with Vauxhall, that's the junction. The part Squawk refers to is the northern part that goes under the train platforms. That's a fatality waiting to happen. The accident apparently happened under the bridge to the south. The covered bit to the west of the tracks is one of the busiest bus stations in London. The cycle lanes...

warreng

On the way in I find the tricky bit is at the end of South Lambeth Road - when the lights change it's a little like wacky races and loads of motorbikes come haring passed under the bridge as we're all fighting for the same line. Once you've negotiated that and turned right the cycle path is next to useless as it's mainly blocked then spews you back into traffic at the lights.

Coming home over the bridge getting into the right lane to turn back into South Lambeth Road can be problematic as cars find themselves in the wrong lane and swerve left for the Brixton turn

kurako

WarrenG wrote:

On the way in I find the tricky bit is at the end of South Lambeth Road - when the lights change it's a little like wacky races and loads of motorbikes come haring passed under the bridge as we're all fighting for the same line. Once you've negotiated that and turned right the cycle path is next to useless as it's mainly blocked then spews you back into traffic at the lights.

Coming home over the bridge getting into the right lane to turn back into South Lambeth Road can be problematic as cars find themselves in the wrong lane and swerve left for the Brixton turn

From South Lambeth Road it is possible to go left on either Wyvil Road or Miles St and then turn right onto Wandsworth Road. You then have a straight shot across the western edge of the gyratory. It's not perfect but it does cut out the left turn followed by right turn in 4 lanes of traffic.

bdave262000

Very sad news. I happened to be driving back from site yesterday and was listening to a radio phone in programme where the host was taking calls about cycling safety and why is it a normal reaction for people to blame cyclists who are killed on the roads even when they have no idea what the cause of the incident was. It developed into the normal depressing rants, although the presenter did do a reasonable job in stopping it from descending into the comments section of the DM. One chap who said he was both a lorry driver and cyclists said it was because motorists see cyclists making good progress on their journey while they are stuck in traffic and its down to jealousy.

drlodge

bdave262000 wrote:

One chap who said he was both a lorry driver and cyclists said it was because motorists see cyclists making good progress on their journey while they are stuck in traffic and its down to jealousy.

This I can believe...I get irrate as a cyclist when I'm stopped in a sensible position and then a bunch of stupid b***rs on their bikes are weaving in and out to get to the front when there's really no room for them.

warreng

Kurako wrote:

WarrenG wrote:

On the way in I find the tricky bit is at the end of South Lambeth Road - when the lights change it's a little like wacky races and loads of motorbikes come haring passed under the bridge as we're all fighting for the same line. Once you've negotiated that and turned right the cycle path is next to useless as it's mainly blocked then spews you back into traffic at the lights.

Coming home over the bridge getting into the right lane to turn back into South Lambeth Road can be problematic as cars find themselves in the wrong lane and swerve left for the Brixton turn

From South Lambeth Road it is possible to go left on either Wyvil Road or Miles St and then turn right onto Wandsworth Road. You then have a straight shot across the western edge of the gyratory. It's not perfect but it does cut out the left turn followed by right turn in 4 lanes of traffic.

Miles St was the detour yesterday morning - I think I'll stick to that

Squawk

You can go up Park Road too, pretty quiet up there and bring you out near the Sainsbury's that's being redeveloped.

fat_tail

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/cyclist-hit-by-bus-in-crash-in-tooting-9479126.html

cyclist hit by bus in Tooting... luckily this was not a fatal crash

itboffin

I was waiting at the junction of moorgate and London wall this morning and overheard two moped drivers complaining about cyclist riding down the middle of the road, aside from the fact that moorgate is much like a freshly ploughed field at best one of these guys then tries his damest to squeeze between the bus and on coming traffic whilst over the white line.

Everyone needs to take a MASSHOOF chill pill