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@AlexB
Dear Valerie Shawcross,
I am writing to you as a voter, regular commuter cyclist and as a work colleague to one of the cyclists tragically killed this September by a Heavy Goods Vehicle operating in central London. I know from your history of questions to the London Assembly that you are well aware of the history and issues that surround the operation of HGVs in central and outer London and that you have been a champion of the cause of cyclists in recent years.
In common with many other cyclists, I feel that a line in the sand has been crossed. There has been a huge reaction from the on-line cycling community and there will be a number of separate initiatives launched. I am writing to ask you to ask why the campaign to insist that all lorries operating within the congestion charge zone be fitted with “blind spot mirrors” started by the London Bicycle Messenger Association four years ago has still not been made a legal requirement. Furthermore, it is clear that the current emphasis on informing cyclists of the dangers has had limited effect.
It's time to start to look at London's cycling infrastructure as a whole. In particular the use of fencing and barriers to the left of junctions around traffic lights and roundabouts - these leave cyclists no route to escape onto the road if they do find themselves alongside lorries at these sites. The design of cycle routes and advance stop lines encourage cyclists to occupy the most vulnerable road position with respect to lorries and give a false sense of security.
In general, despite the increased numbers of cyclists who jump red lights and frustrate and anger fellow road users, I feel that on the whole the situation on London's roads has improved, but I feel that the road haulage industry is dragging its feet and needs to take a long hard look at itself. I also feel that the HSE should automatically become involved in all of these road deaths, as they would if such an incident had taken place within the bounds of a commercial premises. They have shown themselves to be consistently objective and have the experience and regulatory powers to have a real effect on the behaviour of the transport operators where they are found to be at fault.
The key points to consider are:
It’s clear that despite all the information campaigns that have been tried for cyclists, the HGV operators and drivers also need to be included in the information campaigns - perhaps through encouraging drivers and operators to try riding in London traffic. Is it time to consider a ban on the operation of HGVs within the congestion charge zone during rush hour or during the entire period of the congestion charge zone period?
Letter to Keith Hill (my MP)
Dear Mr Hill,
I am writing to you on an issue directly affecting me as a cyclist (I cycle to work every day). I hope you are aware that over the last year, according to the London Cycle Campaign, of the nine cyclists killed in central London, eight were killed by Heavy Goods Vehicles.
Overall this September two cyclists were killed, one pedestrian crossing the road with a bicycle was run down by a lorry and another cyclist was seriously injured by a left-turning lorry.
A London Road Safety Unit study of London cyclist fatalities between 1999 and 2002 concluded that, of the 49 collisions with lorries, more than half were the result of a left turn by the lorry.
The design of many of London’s cycle lanes and advance stop lines (green boxes at traffic lights) lure cyclists into the most dangerous position at junctions: slightly in front of and to the left of lorries. At the two junctions where cyclists were recently killed by left-turning lorries (Upper Thames Street junction with Queen Street Place, and Camley Street junction with Goods Way) there are advance stop lines, both with feeder cycle lanes from the left.
In common with many other cyclists, I feel that a line in the sand has been crossed. There has been a huge reaction from the on-line cycling community and there will be a number of separate initiatives launched, but I am writing to you, as my MP, to ask you to ask why the campaign to insist that all lorries operating within the congestion charge zone be fitted with “blind spot mirrors” started by the London Bicycle Messenger Association four years ago has still not been made a legal requirement.
The key points to consider are:
It’s clear that despite all the information campaigns that have been tried for cyclists, the HGV operators and drivers also need to be included in the information campaigns - perhaps through encouraging drivers and operators to try riding in London traffic.
Is it time to consider a ban on the operation of HGVs within the congestion charge zone during rush hour or during the entire period of the congestion charge zone period?
Sincerely,
From The BMJ
Deaths of cyclists in London 1985-92: the hazards of road traffic
K Gilbert, M McCarthy Public Health, Camden and Islington Health Authority, London NW1 2LJ
Correspondence to: Dr McCarthy.
Abstract Objective : To determine the characteristics of cyclists and vehicles involved in fatal cycling accidents.
Design : Analysis of data routinely collected by police for each accident from January 1985 to December 1992 and held in a national master file (Stats 19) by the Department of Transport.
Setting : Greater London, which comprises inner London (12 boroughs and the City of London) and outer London (20 boroughs).
Subjects : 178 cyclists who died (78 in inner London and 100 in outer London; age range 3-88).
Main outcome measures : Associations between characteristics of cyclists, type of vehicle involved, and place of accident.
Results : Motor vehicles were involved in 173 deaths. Heavy goods vehicles were involved in 75 deaths (30/100 (30%) in outer London and 45/78 (58%) in inner London); cars in 74 (54/100) (54%) in outer London and 20/78 (26%) in inner London); light goods vehicles in 12/178 (7%); and buses in 6/178 (3%). Thirty five of the people who died were children aged <=16. Female cyclists were especially at risk from heavy goods vehicles in inner London (22 deaths), while male cyclists were especially at risk from cars in outer London (50 deaths).
**Discussion : Cyclists who died in urban areas are more likely to be adults than children. In inner London, in relation to their traffic volume, heavy goods vehicles are estimated to cause 30 times as many cyclists' deaths as cars and five times as many as buses. Until the factors leading to this excess risk are understood, a ban on heavy goods vehicles in urban areas should be considered. **
Dear Mr Johnson,
However, I hope you are aware that the real killer of cyclists on London roads is not buses (although cyclists have been killed by buses), but lorries and other Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs). In September alone two cyclists were killed, one pedestrian crossing the road with a bicycle was run down by a lorry and another cyclist was seriously injured by a left-turning lorry. So far this year 9 cyclists have been killed, 8 by HGVs (source: London Cycling Campaign).
Despite all the campaigning to inform cyclists of the dangers of cycling close to lorries there has been practically no change in the statistics, in fact, if anything, things are getting worse. The sheer numbers of cyclists on the roads means that cars and small vans are generally much more used to being around cyclists and consistently more careful. With relatively low traffic speeds in central London you can still "get away" with a collision with a car. However with an HGV you get no chance and it seems as though most of the collisions have been at relatively low speed and mostly when lorries have made left turns.
In my opinion, there has been too much tendancy to blame the cyclists by claiming that they slipped up the inside of the lorry and ignored its indicators and turn signals. It's equally possible for a lorry to partially overtake a cyclist and then immediately make a left turn, crushing them to death. As a cyclist you must be familiar with the "left hook" whereby a car tries to overtake a moving cyclist and ends up hitting the cyclist.
A London Road Safety Unit study of London cyclist fatalities between 1999 and 2002 concluded that, of the 49 collisions with lorries, more than half were the result of a left turn by the lorry.
The design of many of London’s cycle lanes and advance stop lines (green boxes at traffic lights) lure cyclists into the most dangerous position at junctions: slightly in front of and to the left of lorries. At the two junctions where cyclists were recently killed by left-turning lorries (Upper Thames Street junction with Queen Street Place, and Camley Street junction with Goods Way) there are advance stop lines, both with feeder cycle lanes from the left.
Furthermore, there have been various campaigns to try and force lorry operators in London to fit "blind spot" mirrors. The London Bicycle Messenger Association started this campaign in anger in 2004, but it has still not been made mandatory to fit these mirrors to vehicles operating in central and outer London. There is currently an on-line Petition to try and raise awareness of this issue.
In common with many other cyclists, I feel enough is enough. I feel there is no point in trying to persuade my colleagues that they should try to cycle to work. How can I justify this? The last cyclist to die in September worked here at the Museum, she was only 31.
With the Olympics coming we should be pressing for more legislation and better driver awareness campaigns. Or is it time to consider a ban on the operation of HGVs within the congestion charge zone during rush hour or during the entire period of the congestion charge zone period?
The key points to consider are:
It’s clear that despite all the information campaigns that have been tried for cyclists, the HGV operators and drivers also need to be included in the information campaigns - perhaps through encouraging drivers and operators to try riding in London traffic.
Sincerely,
From The British Medical Journal
Deaths of cyclists in London 1985-92: the hazards of road traffic
K Gilbert, M McCarthy Public Health, Camden and Islington Health Authority, London NW1 2LJ
Correspondence to: Dr McCarthy.
Abstract Objective : To determine the characteristics of cyclists and vehicles involved in fatal cycling accidents.
Design : Analysis of data routinely collected by police for each accident from January 1985 to December 1992 and held in a national master file (Stats 19) by the Department of Transport.
Setting : Greater London, which comprises inner London (12 boroughs and the City of London) and outer London (20 boroughs).
Subjects : 178 cyclists who died (78 in inner London and 100 in outer London; age range 3-88).
Main outcome measures : Associations between characteristics of cyclists, type of vehicle involved, and place of accident.
Results : Motor vehicles were involved in 173 deaths. Heavy goods vehicles were involved in 75 deaths (30/100 (30%) in outer London and 45/78 (58%) in inner London); cars in 74 (54/100) (54%) in outer London and 20/78 (26%) in inner London); light goods vehicles in 12/178 (7%); and buses in 6/178 (3%). Thirty five of the people who died were children aged <=16. Female cyclists were especially at risk from heavy goods vehicles in inner London (22 deaths), while male cyclists were especially at risk from cars in outer London (50 deaths).
Discussion : Cyclists who died in urban areas are more likely to be adults than children. In inner London, in relation to their traffic volume, heavy goods vehicles are estimated to cause 30 times as many cyclists' deaths as cars and five times as many as buses. Until the factors leading to this excess risk are understood, a ban on heavy goods vehicles in urban areas should be considered.
If you use these letters, don't cut and paste them, steal bits from them by all means (I have taken my sources from here, from Moving Target and from articles in the press. The "Write to Them" website has software to detect and delete "cut and paste" campaigns.
I will also be writing to
Peter Hendy (TfL transport commissioner)
and Kulveer Ranger (the Mayor's transport advisor)