peterm:
Been away for a while. Is the Bow Interchange where the A11 meets the 12 ?Feel sorry for the cyclist and the driver.
Yes where the flyover is.
rambo19:
…cyclists do themselves no favours, however, tippers seem to be involved in alot of the insidents.
Tipper drivers; selfish, always in a hurry and little regard for the Highway Code.
Cyclists; selfish, always in a hurry and little regard for the Highway Code.
Result: dead cyclists.
Carryfast:
The first sentence to be exact.The only defensive riding in this case that’s relevant would be for cyclists to be made to use the pavement in just the same way as if they were pedestrians and giving the pedestrians they share the pavement space with the same respect that they at present expect from motor traffic.The difference being that in this case the cyclists would have the luxury of much more space and visibility and lower speeds to work with and do so.
I concede that might work in some areas where there happens to be a pavement broad enough to accommodate both cyclists and pedestrians, although I think your vision might not be as rosy as all that once you realise that cyclists and pedestrians don’t mix quite as well as you think they do.
Traffic generally runs according to fairly rigid rules, which is why there are actually very few incidents for the number of vehicles on our roads; pedestrians on pavements do not run according to these rules and are prone to stopping to look in shop windows, darting across the path to pick up what they thought was a ten pound note, stopping for no reason at all, and so on. And why shouldn’t they?
This behaviour, however, does not mix well with cyclists, who are, like car and lorry drivers, usually trying to get from here to there. It’s fine if you can segregate cyclists completely from pedestrians, but you can’t do that short of building an entirely separate road network for cyclists alone, and where’s the money going to come from for that? Painting a white line down the middle of a pavement and calling half of it the cycle lane certainly doesn’t work. And if you say to me “well, the cyclist should slow down or ride more carefully around vulnerable road users, as they’re the ones bringing the danger to that environment”, I can only agree with you and point out gently that exactly the same principle operates on the road where cars or lorries and bicycles are concerned.
This doesn’t begin to address the areas where there is no pavement to put cyclists on, or where the pavements aren’t wide enough to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists safely. My commute, for instance (which I occasionally bike if I feel energetic) is 18 miles of A road. There isn’t a yard of dedicated cycle path on the entire route, and not much pavement (certainly none wide enough for bikes and people). What am I supposed to do in your traffic utopia?
These ‘Cycle Superhighways’ are poorly executed ridiculously named sections of painted road. Transport for London should be ashamed of this attempt which wasn’t even cheap I’m told. The infrastructure in London for bicycles is appalling. I wonder what Dutch visitors think of our ‘Cycle Superhighways’. Would be something to laugh at if it wasn’t so life and death. TfL have blood on their hands.
I think the answer is education, on both sides. I’ve been a cyclist longer than I’ve been a lorry driver, but I’ve been both for long enough to be pretty savvy around lorries on my bike. I know where to position myself to keep myself in the driver’s line of sight, I know where lorry blind spots are and I know - above all - never to go down the inside of a trailer and always to have an escape route. Similarly, when I’m driving the lorry I know where to look for cyclists. But a lot of cyclists don’t know these things, and I suspect they’re the ones creeping up the inside of left turning trucks at traffic lights and roundabouts, and getting killed. Likewise, (this is not aimed at anyone on here, by the way) a lot of lorry drivers haven’t been on a bike since they were kids and have no idea how terrifying it can be to have an artic whistle past a foot from your right elbow.
Anything that would give each side some sort of an idea what it’s like from the other point of view would help. Anyone who’s had a near miss on a bike is in no hurry to repeat the experience, and I imagine anyone who’s killed or injured a cyclist with a truck is very careful about checking the mirrors before they move off. There are plenty of posts on here saying how car drivers should at least sit in a truck before taking their tests: I think that could usefully apply to cyclists too. And it wouldn’t hurt to stick some of the more vocal anti cyclist truck drivers on a bike for a day. 
and another one
Yep another this morning. Ive done a post on my blog, this subject does my noodle in
Tfl have brainwashed cyclists in to thinking they can do as they please. Everyone has to do there bit to keep each other safe.
This cycle superhighway is a typical half hearted british idea to adress a problem that helps no one and costs a fortune
IF these Superhighways have been implicated in thee accidents then action needs to happen NOW.
That BBC article
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-24936942
Said that action would take 15 months to complete if necessary. Not good enough. The normal budget/planning cobblers needs to be binned here. Granted the changes would need to be safe, but get 'em done.
Another cyclist got killed by bus last night on aldgate. When an hgv involved the ones I seen online is either a bulker or roro. Never seen a fridge or trolley dolly involved for example?!
Is it case with bulker lads in London, Rush rush rush load rush rush rush tip…■■ Or do cyclists just treat them diff to other trucks?
Fastest change available is too get the cyclists off the roads in areas they are likely to clash with large vehicles.
Cycling ban needed, controversial maybe but emergency segregation required until the correct infrastructure is in place.
Regardless of whos to blame its time to stop bowing down to the cycling lobby groups and start saving lives and making the roads a safer place.
Never going to happen- but a ‘Get off your Bike and Walk’ campaign would be interesting.
12 cyclists killed in London this year.
69 pedestrians killed in London this year.
Why no uproar about the latter?
Rhythm Thief:
Carryfast:
The first sentence to be exact.The only defensive riding in this case that’s relevant would be for cyclists to be made to use the pavement in just the same way as if they were pedestrians and giving the pedestrians they share the pavement space with the same respect that they at present expect from motor traffic.The difference being that in this case the cyclists would have the luxury of much more space and visibility and lower speeds to work with and do so.I concede that might work in some areas where there happens to be a pavement broad enough to accommodate both cyclists and pedestrians, although I think your vision might not be as rosy as all that once you realise that cyclists and pedestrians don’t mix quite as well as you think they do.
Traffic generally runs according to fairly rigid rules, which is why there are actually very few incidents for the number of vehicles on our roads; pedestrians on pavements do not run according to these rules and are prone to stopping to look in shop windows, darting across the path to pick up what they thought was a ten pound note, stopping for no reason at all, and so on. And why shouldn’t they?
This behaviour, however, does not mix well with cyclists, who are, like car and lorry drivers, usually trying to get from here to there. It’s fine if you can segregate cyclists completely from pedestrians, but you can’t do that short of building an entirely separate road network for cyclists alone, and where’s the money going to come from for that? Painting a white line down the middle of a pavement and calling half of it the cycle lane certainly doesn’t work. And if you say to me “well, the cyclist should slow down or ride more carefully around vulnerable road users, as they’re the ones bringing the danger to that environment”, I can only agree with you and point out gently that exactly the same principle operates on the road where cars or lorries and bicycles are concerned.
This doesn’t begin to address the areas where there is no pavement to put cyclists on, or where the pavements aren’t wide enough to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists safely. My commute, for instance (which I occasionally bike if I feel energetic) is 18 miles of A road. There isn’t a yard of dedicated cycle path on the entire route, and not much pavement (certainly none wide enough for bikes and people). What am I supposed to do in your traffic utopia?
The bs issue of not enough pavement space,like many other examples,obviously didn’t apply in this case.It seems obvious that the raving cycling lobby,for all it’s so called ‘protests’ against the cycle ‘superhighways’,obviously prefers the idea of a bit of blue paint on the limited road space available in this case,than to use the mile wide empty pavement off the road and away from danger and thereby not putting drivers into the situation of colliding with yet more of the raving re claim the streets at all costs eco warriors.As I’ve said the fact is it’s a lot easier for cyclists to cooperate with pedestrians in the shared walkway/cycle way environment than for trucks and buses to have to cooperate with cyclists.If the cyclists can’t get their heads around that simple fact then they’ll just have to walk. 
Cruise Control:
Another cyclist got killed by bus last night on aldgate. When an hgv involved the ones I seen online is either a bulker or roro. Never seen a fridge or trolley dolly involved for example?!Is it case with bulker lads in London, Rush rush rush load rush rush rush tip…■■ Or do cyclists just treat them diff to other trucks?
Maybe it’s possible that cyclists are ( rightly ) more scared of getting involved with artics.The fact that buses are also involved suggests that the issue with rigids is probably all about the law of averages and the fact that cyclists are generally a bunch of suicidal nutcases,who’s main priority is maintaining their ‘right’ to use the road,when it comes to taking responsibility for their own safety.
Contraflow:
rambo19:
…cyclists do themselves no favours, however, tippers seem to be involved in alot of the insidents.Tipper drivers; selfish, always in a hurry and little regard for the Highway Code.
Cyclists; selfish, always in a hurry and little regard for the Highway Code.
Result: dead cyclists.
+1.
It’s not a “fact” that generally cyclists are a bunch of suicidal nutcases, it’s your opinion. I know you won’t admit to it carryfast, you are so one eyed when it comes to truck driving it’s no surprise you don’t drive them anymore, but some of these incidents just might be the drivers fault. I would suggest that, if you drive around London and don’t expect to see cyclists on the road, and drive accordingly, then maybe you shouldn’t be driving large vehicles. If all cyclists are raving lunatics, as you often suggest, then how come it’s not carnage all over the country everyday?
Cruise Control:
Another cyclist got killed by bus last night on aldgate. When an hgv involved the ones I seen online is either a bulker or roro. Never seen a fridge or trolley dolly involved for example?!Is it case with bulker lads in London, Rush rush rush load rush rush rush tip…■■ Or do cyclists just treat them diff to other trucks?
Law of average most common hgv in london is construction trucks.
Slackbladder:
It’s not a “fact” that generally cyclists are a bunch of suicidal nutcases, it’s your opinion. I know you won’t admit to it carryfast, you are so one eyed when it comes to truck driving it’s no surprise you don’t drive them anymore, but some of these incidents just might be the drivers fault. I would suggest that, if you drive around London and don’t expect to see cyclists on the road, and drive accordingly, then maybe you shouldn’t be driving large vehicles. If all cyclists are raving lunatics, as you often suggest, then how come it’s not carnage all over the country everyday?
Some cyclists are as are some hgv drivers and car drivers just they havent got a metal box to protect them.
Probably controversial but my thoughts are …
Car drivers need to take a test to use the road safely.
Van drivers need to take a test to use the road safely.
Bus drivers need to take a test to use the road safely.
Lorry drivers need to take a test to use the road safely.
Cyclists don’t.
If they are going to use road space they should have to at least do a cycling proficiency course and have basic knowledge of the highway code.
rambo19:
Contraflow:
rambo19:
…cyclists do themselves no favours, however, tippers seem to be involved in alot of the insidents.Tipper drivers; selfish, always in a hurry and little regard for the Highway Code.
Cyclists; selfish, always in a hurry and little regard for the Highway Code.
Result: dead cyclists.
+1.
-1. Been plodding along quite nicely, safely and considerately thank you.