• Sorry I wasn't very coherent earlier on, wanted to contribute to the debate but couldn't give it my whole attention.

    Here is my objection to the spoke-cards as they stand.

    Cyclists have an absolute right to be on the road. Lorries are only licensed to do so. Natural justice dictates that they, as the larger, more dangerous party, have a duty of care to smaller, more vulnerable vehicles.

    Therefore I am wary of any message that reinforces the image of cyclists as 2nd class citizens of the road. I know that it wasn't intended as such, but the suicide zone version was particularly distasteful to me, as I know that none of the cyclists who have been killed by left-turning lorries intentionally put themselves in harm's way. I also have a problem with any literature that absolves lorry driver and the operators of their duty of care. Sure, good sense dictates that you want to avoid crossing paths with a larger vehicle, but on the other hand, that same good sense should dictate that the operators emphasise ABOVE ALL ELSE that they expect their drivers not to injure other road users.

    Therefore the only message that I would be comfortable with would be something a bit more provocative like

    Look out for them, they aren't looking out for you. LORRIES KILL CYCLISTS.

    Something that besmirches the reputations of the operators, and would make them cross enough to get in touch, and engage with us, rather than something less anodyne which feeds their complacency.

    I would also like to remind you that there are two conflicting accounts of the collision last week. One from a cop which suggested that cyclist was lane-splitting between two lorries.
    The other of a CCTV footage which showed the cyclist swerving to avoid a pot-hole in the bike lane, and being run over from behind. Neither are reliable, but I know which one I find more credible.

    So of the two fatalities, a left-turning lorry was only a factor in one.

    Also, is anyone up for painting the road at fatal collision sites? Or doing ghost bikes? I want to reclaim those streets...

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