Cyclist/pedestrian collision yesterday - Tower Bridge Road

Terry, I cycle six days a week and I'm a keen advocate of cycling, but I have to call you out here.

Terry99 wrote:

Hit and runs by drivers are routine and they kill far more pedestrians on the pavement than bike riders do. It would be nice if the police would take a little trouble over those incidents.

It's an silly exaggeration to say that hit and runs are "routine". (It is correct though that, statistically, motor vehicles present more of a risk to pedestrians on the footpath than cycles do.)

Terry99 wrote:

The root causes of this accident were the failure of the relevant authorities to provide safe cycle tracks, and the failure of the police to do anything effective about incompetent drivers who have forced almost all bikes off the road.

The root cause of this accident was simply the reckless behaviour of the idiot on the bike. And it's obviously untrue to say that "almost all bikes" have been forced off the road.

Terry99 wrote:

By the way, investigations have shown that most pedestrian/cyclist incidents turn out to have been the pedestrian's fault.

Not when the pedestrian involved is on the footpath, Terry!

Terry99 wrote:

Andie Mac wrote:

Thanks Jan, that's a great idea, thank you for doing that on Facebook. Also, I've now put it on Twitter as well as contacted Simon Hughes MP and the Southwark News. I'm hoping the police will release the CCTV footage of the cyclist. If they have it, it's no good keeping it to themselves.
Thanks to everyone for their kind words. I've heard so many stories of near misses between pedestrians and cyclists now, it's scary. I know that cyclists face a huge amount of danger on the roads too, and I'd never cycle in London because, personally, I think it's too dangerous, but cyclists taking to the pavement isn't the answer either.

Hit and runs by drivers are routine and they kill far more pedestrians on the pavement than bike riders do. It would be nice if the police would take a little trouble over those incidents.

The root causes of this accident were the failure of the relevant authorities to provide safe cycle tracks, and the failure of the police to do anything effective about incompetent drivers who have forced almost all bikes off the road.

By the way, investigations have shown that most pedestrian/cyclist incidents turn out to have been the pedestrian's fault.

I'm sure the Police do take a lot of trouble over hit and runs by car drivers - although with license plates it is far easier to track down a car/driver than it is a bike/cyclist.

How can you state (unless you were the man on the bike), that the root cause of this accident was the lack of cycling infrastructure? It may have played a part, but quite frankly if you don't feel confident cycling on the road, you shouldn't be cycling. It doesn't give you an excuse to start cycling on the pavement.

I can certainly believe (being someone who cycles to work in central London most days) that pedestrians are at fault for the majority of bike/pedestrian collisions - but that doesn't mean they are at fault for all of them, and it certainly looks like it was the chap on the bike at fault for this one.

"It's an silly exaggeration to say that hit and runs are "routine". "

It is nothing of the kind. the whole reason this case got publicity is because similar incidents are so rare. That's why you are two hundred times more likely to be hurt by a driver on the pavement than a cyclist.

In the 10 years to 1997, guess how many people were killed on London's pavements by cars? = 37.

By bikes? = Zero.

On hit-and-runs being routine, drivers commit ten hit and runs every single day in the capital alone:

https://www.london.gov.uk/media/assembly-member-press-releases/green-party/2014/03/news-from-jenny-jones-am-74-hit-and-run-victims-per-week-across

Ten a day. Routine.

Best wishes to Andrea.

Well, whatever the statistics, this cyclist is one big coward, his refusal to take responsibility for his part in this awful accident is totally despicable and rather than damage limitation, some members of the cycling community would garner a lot more acceptance and goodwill if they actively helped finding this guy. I can't speak for AndieMac, but in my experience, a culprit getting away with something like this in such a cowardly fashion is adding insult to injury. Hit and run must be the vilest of all traffic offences, next to drink driving.

eDWaRD WooDWaRD wrote:

some members of the cycling community would garner a lot more acceptance and goodwill if they actively helped finding this guy.

I'm getting tired of your dishonesty and relentlessly contemptuous posts about cyclists. It was City Cyclists who re-tweeted Andrea's appeal. It was the London Cycling Campaign who offered support. Andrea said as much herself:

Andrea McVeigh @worldinaglass · 17h 17 hours ago
@LindaLa_Hughes Hi there, no of course not - a lot of my good friends cycle and cyclists have been very supportive of me on Twitter.



Hijacking her injuries to lend strength to your silly tribalism is contemptible, it would have taken you five seconds to discover that for yourself.

eDWaRD WooDWaRD wrote:

Well, whatever the statistics, this cyclist is one big coward, his refusal to take responsibility for his part in this awful accident is totally despicable and rather than damage limitation, some members of the cycling community would garner a lot more acceptance and goodwill if they actively helped finding this guy. I can't speak for AndieMac, but in my experience, a culprit getting away with something like this in such a cowardly fashion is adding insult to injury. Hit and run must be the vilest of all traffic offences, next to drink driving.

I am a cyclist.

I cycle in SE1.

The cyclist that did this has nothing to do with me.

It is not my responsibility to "go and find him"

His actions should not have any bearing of your opinion of me as an individual cyclist.

I hope he gets caught.

se1-steve wrote:

eDWaRD WooDWaRD wrote:

Well, whatever the statistics, this cyclist is one big coward, his refusal to take responsibility for his part in this awful accident is totally despicable and rather than damage limitation, some members of the cycling community would garner a lot more acceptance and goodwill if they actively helped finding this guy. I can't speak for AndieMac, but in my experience, a culprit getting away with something like this in such a cowardly fashion is adding insult to injury. Hit and run must be the vilest of all traffic offences, next to drink driving.

I am a cyclist.

I cycle in SE1.

The cyclist that did this has nothing to do with me.

It is not my responsibility to "go and find him"

His actions should not have any bearing of your opinion of me as an individual cyclist.

I hope he gets caught.

I agree. I don't judge all cyclists by this weasel nor did I say cyclists should go and find the guy, I literally said "that rather than damage limitation, some members of the cycling community would garner a lot more acceptance and goodwill if they actively helped finding this guy". I addressed SOME cyclists. I am sorry if this wasn't clear.

eDWaRD WooDWaRD wrote:

I agree. I don't judge all cyclists by this weasel nor did I say cyclists should go and find the guy, I literally said "that rather than damage limitation, some members of the cycling community would garner a lot more acceptance and goodwill if they actively helped finding this guy". I addressed SOME cyclists. I am sorry if this wasn't clear.

Fair point, perhaps my reply would have been better placed responding to megb's earlier post instead...

Hit and runs by drivers are commonplace. Two of the three who ran into me failed to stop. And most people who might like to cycle have indeed been driven off the road. There are hardly any riders in my part of London. I don't ride on the road anymore myself.

I don't know who was to blame in this case, it could well have been the rider. Anyone riding on the pavement should certainly take great care. But they probably wouldn't have been there if there was a good cycle track.

Terry, that's insulting to the poor lady who was hit. Cycling on the pavement is illegal for good reason.