Of lorries and London cyclists
Francis Sedgemore, Saturday 4 July 2009
Yesterday afternoon I attended a vigil in central London outside the offices of the Crown Prosecution Service on Ludgate Hill. The event, which was organised by the London Cycling Campaign, had been called by Kate Cairns, whose sister Eilidh died in February after being run down by a lorry in Notting Hill.
Also taking place yesterday, this time in Reading, west of London, was a demonstration outside the local office of the Crown Prosecution Service to protest the lack of action following the death a year ago of cyclist Anthony Maynard. The van driver responsible made the excuse that he didn’t see Maynard, and the authorities decided not to prosecute.
Readers in countries in which drivers responsible for the deaths of cyclists are routinely investigated, prosecuted, jailed and banned from ever driving again will be shocked by the “shit happens” attitude displayed in Britain. But it is very difficult here to secure the prosecution and conviction of reckless drivers, and in many cases police officers and state prosecutors appear to care little about the growing problem.
Eilidh Cairns and Anthony Maynard are but two of many London area cyclists killed recently by commercial drivers. Writing in yesterday’s Evening Standard, Justin Davenport reported on PR executive and experienced cyclist Catriona Patel, who on Monday was crushed to death under the wheels of a lorry near The Oval cricket ground. Patel was the seventh cyclist in less than five months to be killed in a collision with a heavy goods vehicle.
Nearer to home, Adrianna Skrzypiec was killed in May by a hit and run driver in Greenwich, while riding home from work to her best friend’s birthday bash in a local pub.
I was made aware of this incident just after it happened, when caught up in a traffic jam caused by police sealing off the accident site. As I passed the scene, I observed a small group of police officers laughing and joking with each other. This despite Skrzypiec being immediately declared dead at the scene. Shit happens and life goes on. Very quickly, it seems. The accident spot is now marked by a flower-adorned white ghost bike, left by members of Greenwich Cyclists. The driver responsible for Skrzypiec’s death has yet to be found.
From the London Cycling Campaign:
“Cyclists in London believe that it is crucial that all drivers involved in fatal crashes should face examination in a public court to answer for their actions. The employers of drivers should also face prosecution if they have not taken every practical step to ensure the safest possible driving behaviour of their employees. All eight of the cyclists killed in London this year died in work related crashes, seven of these involved HGVs.”
Cycling in central London scares the hell out of me, and I avoid it wherever possible. I’m just glad I don’t have to commute. The attitude and behaviour of lorry, bus and taxi drivers is often appalling, and roads are not planned with cyclists in mind.
In Boris Johnson we have a cycling mayor committed to building a network of twelve “cycle superhighways”. But painting a small strip of road on a handful of principal commuting routes a different colour to the rest is far from the integrated and comprehensive approach required to make London a cycle-friendly city.
Comment added on 25/8-09
It has come to my attention, through various sources, that the comment below by “julie” (a) contains allegations strongly contested by the family of the late Catriona Patel, and (b) omits a highly pertinent point.
I have been asked to delete julie’s comment, but feel that this would not be appropriate in the circumstances. Instead I shall add the following comments…
Julie claims that a witness came forward to say that Catriona was leaning on the front of the lorry. While I personally have seen a few cyclists engage in such reckless behaviour, they were clearly not competent riders, and certainly not trained and experienced in the way that Catriona is reported to have been.
As for red-light jumping, this is a very serious allegation. Unless it is contested by eye witnesses, it is an allegation difficult if not impossible to challenge in court. You cannot libel the dead.
The driver responsible for Catriona’s death has been charged with drink-driving, and this throws into doubt his partner’s testimony here.
The full truth will no doubt emerge in due course, in a court of law.
Feed the writer! 
Saturday 4 July 2009 at 17:54 UTC
I am the partner of the Lorry Driver who was in the collision on Monday which resulted in the death of Cyclist Catriona Patel. I understand the beneficial reasons to the planet, reduction in traffic on the roads etc etc for cycling to work but I have seen cyclists weaving in and out of traffic and it scares me. A witness has come forward to say that Catriona was leaning on the front of the lorry at the lights ,my partner could not see her. She went forward before the lights changed and simply misjudged the situation. Please ask your members to be aware of the dangers of cycling on busy roads. I wouldnt do it. It is not always the vehicles fault. My partner a professional HGV driver has to live with this for the rest of his life. Our thoughts and prayers are with Catrionas family.
Saturday 4 July 2009 at 19:14 UTC
Julie – you are right; it isn’t always the vehicle driver’s fault. There are many cyclists in London whose behaviour is reckless, and are a danger to other road users, especially pedestrians.
As for red light jumping, I and my LCC-affiliated friends do not do this. Very often we weave in and out of traffic queues near junctions, and wait in front the white lines at red lights, but this is best practice given the dangers presented by motorists who don’t check their side mirrors, and those presented by vehicle exhaust fumes.
Aggressive cycling is very often, if not in most cases, a reaction to aggressive driving. And road rules are for nothing when it comes to one’s judgement of personal safety on the road. The rules currently in place are inadequate to cope with the problems presented by dense motor and cycle traffic.
What we need in this country is to develop a road culture that fosters a better sense of awareness for the needs of others, and duty of care for each other. Roads, busy or otherwise, do not belong exclusively to motorists.
Part of any reform should include the kind of mandatory accident investigation called for by the London Cycling Campaign. We could also do with a greater willingness on the part of the police and CPS to prosecute drivers whose actions lead to the death of cyclists.
Looking at the experience of other countries would help too. In Denmark, where I lived before coming to London, drivers are very careful, as they know they will face very heavy penalties should they injure or kill a cyclist. It also means that the general standard of inner city driving is relatively high, when compared with London.
Saturday 4 July 2009 at 21:32 UTC
Julie wrote:”…She went forward before the lights changed and simply misjudged the situation…”
If she went forward before the lights changed then, it seems to me that, Catriona would have been visible to the driver before he pulled away. That’s why experienced cyclists do this (and it’s why there are Advanced Stop Lines for cyclists at many junctions). I do not understand how, as Julie claims, she misjudged the situation, please explain. I’m not attributing fault as non of us know the full circumstances (personally, I would not cycle on the inside of a vehicle that was indicating left; which Catriona may or may not have done). I only hope that the driver is taken to court; not because I want him to suffer but because it is the right place to settle such matters. All to often the CPS decides not to prosecute because they seem to have a bias against cyclists; despite the fact that they have as much right to be on the roads as do motorised vehicles.
Saturday 4 July 2009 at 21:46 UTC
Excellent post, Francis. I walked by one of those ‘ghost bikes’ the week before last in London, and I was mystified by its symbolism. (Though, obviously, it stuck in my mind, as they are quite stark and haunting objects even if you don’t know what they’re for.)
I spend a fair amount of time walking around central London, and I am continually amazed by the bravery of people who actually will ride down something like Euston Rd. at rush hour, and they apparently do this day after day.
Not something I cold bring myself to do, to be honest.
There are some appallingly behaved cyclists, of course, but I have seen far more thoughtlessness on that part not only of drivers but also of pedestrians.
I can only compare it with Germany, which is perhaps not ideal for cyclists, but where as a driver (I had to re-do my license when I came here) the rights of cyclists are drilled into you again and again.
And this makes a difference, I think, to how they are treated.
Sunday 5 July 2009 at 11:13 UTC
Rights and responsibilities, John. In Germany the authorities enforce road rules as they apply to cyclists, as well as motorists. In Britain the police appear to care little about red-light jumping, pavement riding, mobile phone use and other naughtiness by cyclists. They’re too busy hassling people for taking photos of public buildings, on the pretext that they may be terrorists.
Sunday 5 July 2009 at 14:10 UTC
Yes, that’s also part of it. It is possible to get points on your driver’s license here for violations as a cyclist. This happened to someone I know for running a stop sign in a quiet residential street.
She, being from the British Isles, found this to be an appalling violation of her freedom.
Sunday 5 July 2009 at 14:24 UTC
John – it’s an “appalling violation of her freedom” that could occur also in Britain.