Yet More Cyclists Die On The Streets Of Londons.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2506215/Another-cyclist-dies-Londons-streets-5-dead-3-fighting-life-9-days-tragedy.html

Is it now time that people were discouraged, rather than encouraged from cycling in the capital?

They could make a start by closing down the 'Boris Bike' scheme.

[solvitquick]

I agree with all your points AOG.
(A) Our cities were never designed for motor vehicles at anywhere near the current density - too narrow and too winding;
(B) Adding cycle lanes only increases the motor density per sq. metre by narrowing them further for cycle lanes;
(C) Cycle lanes have to have breaks in them as per roundabouts mentioned. Cyclists should dismount and walk with their bikes to the next safe lane;
(D) The percentage cyclists' deaths are too high and the activity should be positively discouraged in London and other ancient British cities;
(E) Cyclists exposure to motor vehicle fumes must be dangerously high (no air filters and deeper breathing than motorists);
(F) The dangerous cycling on roads quoted shows that we host a large number of motor-oblivious cyclists so stop them for their own sakes;
Despite their land shortage Amsterdam managed a safe and good policy - although it's easy to get run over as a pedestrian if you are not
cycle-aware.
However it's too late to even approach the Dutch problem in London.
Party politics aside, the London cyclist seems the victim of another crazy populist political vote "winner" - Boris' Lanes included.
SIQ.

[ichkeria]

With the right political will cycling can be made safer.

Boris needs to back up his high profile schemes with some less populist but nonetheless vital steps to ensure cycling is made safer -the threat comes largely from lorries which are not properly equpped for urban travel.

I was disappointed by the comments of the mayor's cycling commissioner, who chose to highlight larger the number of pedestrians killed, suggesting that they don't have the same "public lobbying power" That may be true but it's an odd thing for someone to say who is supposed to be responsible for cycling

[emmie]

some that use the bicycle scheme are poor at cycling, i witness this on a daily basis. Many cyclists are a law unto themselves, sadly some can't see that cycling over red lights as dangerous. Nor can they see wearing ear phones or indeed taking hands off the handlebars, that is something i saw a bloke do yesterday, riding the length of our street, riding on the pavement, which is as most know now, is dangerous and illegal. I have every sympathy for those killed, and their families, no one wants this, but there are many cycling apologists who think it is their rights over others,
what they should see is that the roads are extremely busy, that you shouldn't ride up the side of large vehicles, especially these lorries, because they cannot be seen, even with the types of mirrors that many lorries have to have now. I see cyclists weave in and out of traffic as though immune, and even these cycle lanes are no protection. One of our local ones is more dangerous than if they simply went with the flow of traffic. It has been revised again and again, but is worse now than when it was first installed. Some of these new cycle lanes look treacherous. And as a former cyclist if in doubt over some roads, best to get off and walk the bike across. The mantra should be better safe than sorry