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One of my late colleagues doesn't appear in your list, (I didn't know her to talk to): http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23426775-details/Inquiry+as+Tesco+lorry+kills+cyclist/article.do
Whilst I'm sure that all the relatives will support any campaign to prevent further deaths, will some find a chained up "ghost bike" at the scene of their loved one's death a little goulish? I'm fairly pragmatic and wouldn't but some might, or will you do it regardless and hope the publicity and scandal will raise awareness, not trying to knock your efforts, just thought it might be something you may want to consider.
More than happily deliver fliers/spoke cards highlighting blindspot riding, etc. to the bikes at work bike parking.
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have just read pretty much all of this thread and it's great to see so much support for this cause. I'm really impressed by all the material everyones produced, especially the posters, they look awesome.
as may others i'm more than happy to help with this cause.also the london paper article is really quite good (bizaarly for the london paper), i had no idea that those sensors mentioned in the article existed, they should definitely be fitted as standard for london streets.
"Quote"
The sensors bleep when an object or person gets too close to the lorry and Cemex driver Niall Corbett is convinced it has saved lives.“The sensor went off as I made a left turn near Wembley Stadium six months ago. My eyes shot over to the mirrors and I slammed on the brakes. Like a bat out of hell, a cyclist whizzed by as if nothing had happened. I was left shaking. He was barely a metre away from certain death.”
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I had an idea for an interesting image to convey blind-spots: Get a lorry somewhere really dark, put a bright light where the driver's head would be, then take a photo from above.
Most of the light would shine out of the front of the cab, but a bit would be reflected by the mirrors and show what areas they reveal.The blind spots would all be shadows, and places that look really tiny in the driver's mirrors would only get a tiny amount of light.
I think basic image with just the light and shadows coming out of the lorry would be really striking, but if anyone wanted more, they could also arrange cyclists and people around the lorry to show who is lit up and who isn't. Could also simulate where the driver is looking by using a spot light.
i.e. something like the attached sketch. The jagged bits are supposed to show where you can be seen if you are tall enough. Left side mirrors based roughly on this. Right side mirrors just made up. Not accurate or anything. Suspect i'm making the mirror traces brighter than they should be.
Is this obvious enough?
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Jim - I have looked into this in detail and spoke to Bill regarding his experiences in handling of relatives. its a really tough area.
My take (an rational that eases my mind) is the arrival of a news story telling how another parent has been made childless, son father less or husband has lost a wife through a road cycling accident would bring their grievance back, and i also believe they would angry it is still happening.
I hope friends and family of the deceased do not walk past the sites daily, if they do then i hope those and all others see it as a message to others that the road is still not safe, and more needs to be done.
For all others that thought of passing a site where someone died would take more of their thoughts than their ipod shuffle, daily rag or current work drama.
but It needs to be done tastefullyI have posted letters throughout our bike park, got a lot of "yeah whatever" responses, but it takes time.
OK the list of sites is below - JBC - need more accurate junction details - any ideas?
The names of people will not be printed at the sites without permission from relatives. instead a note saying a "cyclist died" will be placed.1 - Upper Thames St (?) - Nick Wright (Sep 08)
2 - Blackfriars bridge north side South bound - Vicki McCreery (?08)
3 - Kingsway meets Southampton Row & Wernon Place - Wan-Chen McGuiness (2008)
4 - Wolburn Place meets Guilford St - Amelia Zollner
5 - Oxford St - between Hanover Square & Hollies St - Ed Newstead
6 - Grays Inn Road meets Theobalds Road - Paul Ellis
7 - Corner of St John St and Clerkenwell Rd - Harriet Tor
8 - PentonVille Road meets Penton Rise - Madeline Wright
9 - Pentonville Road Meets Cynthia St - Joe Cooper
10 - Streatham Hill (?) - Kate Charles (Dec 07)
11 - Holloway Road (?) - Lisa Pontecorvo (Sep 08) -
Have no truck with death
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Jim - I have looked into this in detail and spoke to Bill regarding his experiences in handling of relatives. its a really tough area.
My take (an rational that eases my mind) is the arrival of a news story telling how another parent has been made childless, son father less or husband has lost a wife through a road cycling accident would bring their grievance back, and i also believe they would angry it is still happening.
I hope friends and family of the deceased do not walk past the sites daily, if they do then i hope those and all others see it as a message to others that the road is still not safe, and more needs to be done.
For all others that thought of passing a site where someone died would take more of their thoughts than their ipod shuffle, daily rag or current work drama.
but It needs to be done tastefullyI have posted letters throughout our bike park, got a lot of "yeah whatever" responses, but it takes time.
OK the list of sites is below - JBC - need more accurate junction details - any ideas?
The names of people will not be printed at the sites without permission from relatives. instead a note saying a "cyclist died" will be placed.1 - Upper Thames St (?) - Nick Wright (Sep 08)
2 - Blackfriars bridge north side South bound - Vicki McCreery (?08)
3 - Kingsway meets Southampton Row & Wernon Place - Wan-Chen McGuiness (2008)
4 - Wolburn Place meets Guilford St - Amelia Zollner
5 - Oxford St - between Hanover Square & Hollies St - Ed Newstead
6 - Grays Inn Road meets Theobalds Road - Paul Ellis
7 - Corner of St John St and Clerkenwell Rd - Harriet Tor
8 - PentonVille Road meets Penton Rise - Madeline Wright
9 - Pentonville Road Meets Cynthia St - Joe Cooper
10 - Streatham Hill (?) - Kate Charles (Dec 07)
11 - Holloway Road (?) - Lisa Pontecorvo (Sep 08)We're missing quite a few deaths
Ambleside Avenue/Mitcham Road, Streatham - I can't find the man's name, but the story is here (Aug 08)
http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/2197080.update_cyclist_dies_after_collision_with_lorry/Park Lane - David Guedier - Feb 2008
Battersea Park Road - Paul Hendrich - Jan 2008
http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:RNp5al8MSewJ:http://www.esadvertising.co.uk/media/images/safercycling9_2917.pdf+cyclist+killed+bus+battersea+2008&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=8&gl=uk&client=firefox-aI'm not sure how far out you want to extend the map, but
One was killed in Nonsuch park at the weekend and another in Orpington (two drivers arrested, looks as though they might have been racing and killed him in the process). -
Antony Smith, linked to above (http://www.ghostbikes.org/index.php?q=london/antony-smith) is not on that list either.
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great stuff thanks Alex, Orpington might be a little to far, it takes a far bit of money and effort to do so i feel the central london HGV trouble spots will reach the most people.
If the average commuter passed 2 or 3 bikes - they might appreciate the scale of the problem, the same way it takes a news paper to print the face of every teenager stabbed this year to invoke a reaction.
I am speaking to Ghost bikes regarding adding photos and details to their site, out of interest does anyone know if his bike is still there?
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OK the list of sites is below - JBC - need more accurate junction details - any ideas?
I've done a few searches, and found the details.
Fentiman Road meets Clahpham Road - Naoko Kondo
December 15, 2005Full details in this blog. It pretty much says it all.
I couldn't edit that map, however this link should point you to the spot.
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Sorry guys, been away from this for a while. Has the spoke card design been signed off yet?
Would be good to get some cash together and get these out there asap.Pip, need me to do anything for ya?
A group of us a meeting up tonight about this. We will come back online tomorrow with actions that people can take etc. Full details tomorrow.
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A group of us a meeting up tonight about this. We will come back online tomorrow with actions that people can take etc. Full details tomorrow.
Dunno whether it would help but I have these, I've got a mate to design a electronic flyer/poster that looks like this:
Download the jpg, and Email it around
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/9/29/2121388/CyclistsTHINK.jpg
A4 Poster in pdf print it off, stick it up in your windows, office, bike parks, I'm sure you get the idea
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/9/29/2121388/CyclistsTHINKA4.pdf
Or the smaller A5 version (for those with less ink and less room :D )
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/9/29/2121388/CyclistsTHINKA5.pdf
It's all copyright free and free to distribute and share
Oh and like every idea nowadays I've started a facebook group
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More diagrams!
Different people think in different ways. Some people can just be told what (not) to do, some people will be happy if there are words telling them why, and some people (like me) pay most attention to diagrams.
(I know the ones i've drawn aren't too pretty (i'm no designer), so please can someone else have a go at drawing an explanation?)
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I was thinking a two sided flyer....the THINK! on one side, right side/suicide on the other with a plug for cyclesafe London thrown in for good measure
5,000 printed double sided would be £115 delivered...And thats without doing shopping around too much
And while 5,000 might not sound a lot, but it's a start
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I share the concerns about ghost bikes and dealing with wishes of family/friends of victims.
I think the ghost bike system works voluntarily, if family and friends want it, the ghost bike website tells them how to go about it. For London there are two sites http://www.ghostbikes.org/london and http://www.ghostcycle.org.uk/It might an idea to do a load of them at once for a limited period, then to take them down if we don't know that the family want the ghost bike to stay.There is already a ghost bike for Anthony Smith (killed in April) on Middleton Road E8 by Kingsland road.
Vikcy McCreery was (no 2 on list) was killed in May 2004, going north on Blackfriars bridge, about a third of the way across. I think her husband is away travelling at the moment. Another woman was run down on Blackfriars last month but I don't think she was killed. -
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:- That HGVs kill more cyclists in central London than any other cause (source BMJ - quoted below).
- Left-turning lorries are the most serious hazard for cyclists.
- Lorries operating in London are not required to fit “blind spot” mirrors
- Cycle lanes are not the answer, they place cyclists in the most vulnerable road position and encourage the ill-informed cyclists to move into the most dangerous position on the road. The most dangerous and ill-conceived cycle paths would be better off being removed altogether.
- The use of road side barriers and railings increases the danger to cyclists, giving them no escape route from turning HGVs.
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:
- That HGVs kill more cyclists in central London than any other cause (source BMJ - quoted below).
- Left-turning lorries are the most serious hazard for cyclists.
- Lorries operating in London are not required to fit “blind spot” mirrors
- Cycle lanes are not the answer, they place cyclists in the most vulnerable road position and encourage the ill-informed cyclists to move into the most dangerous position on the road. The most dangerous and ill-conceived cycle paths would be better off being removed altogether.
- The use of road side barriers and railings increases the danger to cyclists, giving them no escape route from turning HGVs.
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,
I hope this is one of many e-mails you have received recently with a similar subject line. When you campaigned for election to the post of Mayor, one of your major campaigning points was to remove bendy buses because of the hazards they posed to cyclists and pedestrians. I realise that this may be due to some personal experience on your part.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:
- That HGVs kill more cyclists in central London than any other cause (source BMJ - quoted below).
- Left-turning lorries are the most serious hazard for cyclists.
- Lorries operating in London are not required to fit “blind spot” mirrors
- Cycle lanes are not the answer, they place cyclists in the most vulnerable road position and encourage the ill-informed cyclists to move into the most dangerous position on the road. The most dangerous and ill-conceived cycle paths would be better off being removed altogether.
- The use of road side barriers and railings increases the danger to cyclists, giving them no escape route from turning HGVs.
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) - That HGVs kill more cyclists in central London than any other cause (source BMJ - quoted below).
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anyone else see the little ghost bike article in London Lite today, page 2, with a picture and everyfink!
Jim_Jones
user8746
moth
Greasy_Slag
Shannonball
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Donut!
snooks
pipwish
charlie_lcc
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fluff-
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About
Awareness Raising Spoke Cards Campaign Project?
Posted by
@BringMeMyFix
has anyone seen this yet?
http://www.thelondonpaper.com/cs/Satellite/london/news/article/1157155471475?packedargs=suffix%3DArticleController
just incase the link does not work...
Feature: As cycle deaths on London roads mount up, a cyclist and a lorry driver swap places to see who's in the wrong Tuesday, 30 September 2008.
September has been one of the bloodiest on record for cycle deaths on London roads with lorries involved in three out of four fatalities. But who's in the wrong? Peter Knight asks a cyclist and lorry driver to swap roles to find out.
London's cycling death toll has reached a quarter of all cycling fatalities recorded last year, in just one month. September's deadly tally has seen four cyclists killed, three from collisions with lorries, in what safety campaigners describe as an ‘unprecedented' spate of deaths.
The latest fatality occurred last week when a 31-year-old cyclist collided with a lorry making a left turn in Holborn.
But why are lorries and bicycles such a deadly combination on the capital’s roads?
To create a greater understanding of what each has to endure, we persuaded a cyclist and lorry driver to swap roles. After spending a morning at the Wincanton lorry depot in Greenford, West London, have either changed their minds?
The cyclist
Flying the cyclists’ flag is writer and cycle instructor Susan Greenwoood, 29. ‘Luckily I’ve steered clear of lorries,” she says, “but I know from watching a cyclist die on the road that I wouldn’t stand a chance.” This time last year Susan looked on in horror as a fellow cyclist was killed under the wheels of a left-turning lorry in Bermondsey. “The cyclist was side by side with the lorry at the lights but because the driver hadn’t seen her she was pushed against the railings as it made a left turn. It was a harrowing sight, which shook me up for days.”
“When a lorry is at the lights there's no excuse for not looking in the mirrors if it means the difference between life and death for a cyclist.”
But after spending a morning in the cab of a 32-tonne HGV Susan has begun to appreciate a lorry driver’s blind spots.
“The major thing I realised is that when a lorry has started turning, a cyclist is literally invisible to the driver.
“I always used to assume that lorry drivers were unthinking idiots but I can now appreciate how many things the driver has to think about when he’s on the road.
“But I still think they drive too fast and as for blind spots, I really don't think there are that many before they start making the turn - there are four mirrors for heaven's sakes!”
The lorry driver
Firmly in the 18-wheeled camp is Wincanton lorry driver Tony Barton, 28. Tony’s been inching his 40-tonne articulated HGV through London’s streets for the past eight years.
“Cyclists must take responsibility for their own actions, they often don’t realise when they’re in a lorry’s blind spots,” he says.
“The worst spot is when a cyclist is hanging on the left side of the cab, under the mirrors. At that point, it’s very difficult to spot them. Also when a lorry is turning, because the cab and trailer are moving separately, it creates a blind spot at the tail end of the lorry.”
To appreciate the narrow gap that Susan says is typical between a lorry and a kerb, Tony had a wobbly pedal down the side of his artic.
“I felt unnerved by being so close to the lorry, pinned against the wall. I know what it’s like to have a lorry thunder past in a car, so I can imagine that for a cyclist it’s ten times worse. Having spoken to Susan, I also appreciate now why cyclists swerve on the road, often to avoid potholes and glass, which a driver can’t see.”
Amazingly buses have been involved in only one cycling death in the past two years. Surprising given that buses and cyclists are locked in a constant struggle for the kerb. Lorries however were involved in over half of cycling fatalities last year (nine out of 15).
“It all comes down to blind spots says Tony. “A bus driver is surrounded by windows and can see through the clear doors if a cyclist is on their left side. They’re also lower down which means they don’t need mirrors to see everything in front of them.”
Cynthia's story
Cycling on her morning commute six years ago to the City law firm where she worked, Alex McVitty’s journey began like any other. But as the 26-year-old was pedalling along London Wall a cement mixer made a left turn in front of her. The driver hadn’t seen her. As she collided with the lorry, Alex was dragged under the trailer and died instantly.
Racked with grief and anger her mother Cynthia, 64, went to the scene of her daughter’s death.
“I stood at the corner of the road where Alex had died, watching all the lorries go by. I just couldn’t understand how a lorry could not see Alex. She was a sensible and experienced cyclist.”
Driven by frustration Cynthia bought £500 of shares in Cemex, so she could speak at their AGM about her daughter’s death. So moved and shocked by Cynthia’s story were they that Cemex, pledged to install its fleet with side sensors.
The sensors bleep when an object or person gets too close to the lorry and Cemex driver Niall Corbett is convinced it has saved lives.
“The sensor went off as I made a left turn near Wembley Stadium six months ago. My eyes shot over to the mirrors and I slammed on the brakes. Like a bat out of hell, a cyclist whizzed by as if nothing had happened. I was left shaking. He was barely a metre away from certain death.”
Cynthia is now chair of road safety charity, RoadPeace.
**Deadly September
Monday 8th**
Lisa Pontecorvo, 64, was killed in collision with a Mercedes concrete mixer on a Holloway Road junction in Islington at 5.30pm.
Thursday 18th
Nick Wright, a 40-year-old father-of-two, died after a morning collision with a truck as he cycled to work along Upper Thames Street in the City.
Thursday 18th
Later that day at around 8.30pm Graham Thwaites, 51, was killed in Orpington after colliding with a blue Mitsubishi Shogun at a junction.
Wednesday 24th
Wan-Chen McGuiness, a 31-year-old woman, was killed as a lorry made a left turn in Holborn at around 6.30 in the morning at a junction between Southampton Row and Vernon Place.