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number9
Joined: 22 Nov 2007
Posts: 253
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 Posted Thu Nov 5, 2009 4:46 pm |
The number of cyclists killed or seriously injured on Britain's roads soared this spring.
Latest government figures show that between April and June, cycle deaths and serious injuries totalled 820 — a 19 per cent rise on the same period the previous year. “Slight” injuries to cyclists were up by nine per cent.
The Department for Transport said the reasons for the rising casualty toll remained unclear. One possibility could be an increase in cyclists on the roads, partly triggered by warmer weather over Easter
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23765003-cycle-deaths-and-serious-injuries-rise-20-per-cent.do
There are two things we need to remember:
More cyclists means fewer accidents. It seems counter-intuitive but the noted phenomenon of the "Virtuous Cycle" means that more cyclists = safer roads. For instance, in London cycling is up by more than 80%, whilst accidents have halved. Since we don't have the figures for the further increases in cycle journeys in the period covered by this survey, it could well be that cycling is actually SAFER per mile travelled, but accidents have risen slightly because there are so many more cyclists on the roads.
The second thing to remember is fault in cyclist RTAs.
Cyclists have the lowest "at fault" rating of any road user. In cyclist/vehicle collisions it is almost invariably the driver who is at fault, cyclists naturally having a disinclination to collide with anything since they're not protected by a steel cage. A 4% rise in accidents may well mask a 20% rise in cyclists.
And Miss Goosen was not turning left at all, she was going straight on to her office. Every cyclist in London knows that lorry drivers can use the "blind spot" excuse if they overtake a cyclist then swing left.
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Gazzaputt
Joined: 29 Nov 2005
Posts: 714
Location: United Kingdom
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Posted Thu Nov 5, 2009 4:50 pm |
"Lorry driver Vladas Urbanas said he checked his mirror before beginning to turn. An inquest last month returned a verdict of accidental death."
Yea of course he did.
Watched a 20 tonner today in Tottenham Court Road throw a left without a glance or indication. Luckily the guy next to him had anticipated it.
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el_presidente
Joined: 02 Feb 2007
Posts: 1182
Location: London
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Posted Thu Nov 5, 2009 4:53 pm |
1) a 19% increase is not "Soared" you sensationalist idiot journalists
2) A 19% increase to 820 incidents means there were 131 additional incidents across the whole of Britain. Not that significant really in a population of 65m.
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el_presidente
Joined: 02 Feb 2007
Posts: 1182
Location: London
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Posted Thu Nov 5, 2009 4:54 pm |
| number9 wrote: | | Every cyclist in London knows that lorry drivers can use the "blind spot" excuse if they overtake a cyclist then swing left. |
sadly NOT every cyclist in London knows this, not by a long chalk
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Porgy
Joined: 27 Jun 2007
Posts: 2074
Location: Greater London
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El Diego
Joined: 17 Sep 2009
Posts: 103
Location: Manchester
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Posted Thu Nov 5, 2009 5:08 pm |
Jeez some of the comments by motorists make for scary reading.
Let's have a minute's silence for all those who are currently sitting in traffic on the way to the gym to ride a stationary bicycle |
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