2008-07-14 - Rider Down/Fatality, Grays Inn Road

quote from a friend

"Some one got mashed out side my office window this morning. A lorry went over a cyclist doing a left at some lights. There still there trying to get the bike from under the lorry.
The dead body is under sheet been there since 8:30. not a nice seen they have shut Grays"

all i know

Shit! :(
Keep 'em peeled peoples, lotta nastiness out there...

shit. I saw Grays Inn Rd was closed as I cycled along Theobolds this morning. Was hoping it was something mundane like a false-alarm bomb scare at ITN, not this. Really sad news if indeed a rider has been killed. Once again it's a lorry turning left.

lorry lorry lorry fucking lorry.

surely the amount of accident with lorry would be clear enough that lorry is dangerous and enough is enough, the government got to do something about it, regardless of the fact you should NEVER under/overtake a lorry, let alone an HGV.

Fuck.

Oh god, that is terrible news.

I hate hearing this and its becoming more frequent. Trouble is there are so many factors that we don't know about, was it rider error, driver ignorance. There has been a big difference I have noticed with small and large goods vehicles having "Cyclists do not pass on the left" stickers and also audible warnings when the truck is turning - has this become law? or just companies retro fitting there fleet.

Anyway this news always saddens me

NEVER under/overtake a lorry, let alone an HGV.

Can't say this enough

not another one. :-(
i suppose the million pound spend by the COI/department of transport for a press and tv campaign warning of the dangers of undertaking lorries and of lorries turning left (the responsibility of care rests with cyclists and lorry drivers IMHO) is not cost effective or a vote winner.

ditto hael...

no matter how experienced you are on London roads, stay the fuck away from something 6 times your size with fuck loads of destructive power...predicting the behavior of other individuals... not for me stay, ahead or behind simple as. sorry for the swearing

and im never that much in a hurry to want to risk my life under taking, left turning etc.

Yeah saw it was closed this mornign sad news. My first commute from east this morning, that stretch from old st roundabout to holborn is mental, so many cars where are they all going?? Riding from the south was much less stressful!

shit, ride safe people

Seems like an extra dangerous day? lots of posts about it today.

I was inches from being hit by a mercedes this morning. Came down camden road from holloway, he was about to do a right turn and didn't see me, both slammed brakes and he missed me with 2-3 inches. I wheelied on my front for a good 2-3 meters, quite impressive when i think about it afterwards.

ditto hael...

no matter how experienced you are on London roads, stay the fuck away from something 6 times your size with with fuck loads of destructive power...predicting the behavior of other individuals... not for me stay, ahead or behind simple as. sorry for the swearing.

since we're talking about people's life here, rather than a couple stratches and bumps, swearing is more than mandatory frankly.

Yeah saw it was closed this mornign sad news. My first commute from east this morning, that stretch from old st roundabout to holborn is mental, so many cars where are they all going?? Riding from the south was much less stressful!

loads of big crossings on that route, don't take any chances by the lights!

not another one. :-(
i suppose the million pound spend by the COI/department of transport for a press and tv campaign warning of the dangers of undertaking lorries and of lorries turning left (the responsibility of care rests with cyclists and lorry drivers IMHO) is not cost effective or a vote winner.

as oppose to the 100 millions pounds being spend on a fucking '21st century' routemaster.

put the money in better use Boris! as nice the sound of a new routemasters is to Londoners, the current double deckers bus are more than enough for our needs (apart from bendy buses).

since we're talking about people's life here, swearing is more than mandatory frankly.

I personally would prefer not to swear... in matters such as this. this is not funny. i just dont have the vocab to voice my opinion strongly enough.

These threads should not exist. ie ride with conviction and confidence, and your own safety in mind!

Shin

rode past this on the way in and the sheet they had put up looked ominous. thoughts go out to family.

this and Jol's post about the curtain road thing. we don't know the facts but i see so much bad cycling with respect to big vehicles.

I wasn't being funny at all, I'm merely saying that the adden profanity is one way of strengthing how important and vital it is never to over/undertake lorry.

stay the fuck away from something 6 times your size with with fuck loads of destructive power....

Don't speak about BRM like that ;)

The whole thought of being pulled under a lorry is sickening! real real sad.
Sometimes you got to stop and think its better to be late in this life than early in the next. there will be places to pass. there always is.

Seriously important. I saw someone undertaking a left turning lorry on Friday morning on my way to work!! The cyclist obviously thought, as they were turning left it was ok. They escaped unhurt. But seriously I see this shit all the time and it really shocks me. Not saying that this is what happened this morning as I don't know. But some cyclists do not help themselves with regard to HGVs

Shit.

:(

Every time I read one of these I'm always thinking I could be next. It's real scary.
Today on my way to work I saw the don't pass on my left sign on a truck for the first time. Thought it was good they have it. Didn't pass him on the right either since he was actually signaling for a right turn.

those stickers have been on (some) trucks for quite a while. as soon as you are close enough to read it then you need to start thinking real serious about which line to take

Sad news...again!

Missed this and I went through at this time too, but then again, I was making sure no idiot ran me over! Awful news, like Hael has said, we don't know the circumstances! I paused at Old Street this morning as there was a cement truck in front, loads of folk rode down the left, I thought better of it and waited for some safe space! Too many risks with and big vehicle to pass on the left, and I have done it too?

There really should be an awareness campaign, I am going to bring this up with someone in the Red Cross who I know, it need highlighting NOW!