More on the Peckham near fatality

I have this information from a friend who has spoken to the lady who
was nearly killed by the driver of an HGV at the junction of Peckham
High Street and Bellenden Road. As a general warning, when reading
this, you should bear in mind that this is not a direct account of
events, but my recall of my friends recall of the account given by the
victim. It is presented as a factual account, but inaccuracies are
likely to be present.

==========

The injured lady is due to be released from hospital tomorrow (9 July
2009). She suffered a broken pelvis and a crushed leg. Despite the
severity of her injuries, it is expected that she will walk again.

She was well ahead of the lorry at the junction of Peckham High Street
and Bellenden Road. The first that she was aware of the lorry was
when it passed her on her right, and turned across her path. The side
of the lorry came right up to her, and continued coming closer. She
recalls banging, shouting and hammering on the side of the lorry as
she was pushed up to the railings. She recalls falling under the
wheels of the lorry, the wheel running over her leg and being pulled
upwards into the body of the lorry. The lorry then stopped and
reversed, coming to rest on her leg. She was conscious the whole time
the emergency services spent at the scene to release her from under
the wheel of the lorry.

The driver of the lorry and the driver's mate were lost and were
turning left to stop in a loading bay to find out where they were. The
driver of the lorry has been charged with driving without due care and
attention.

Several witnesses support the account given by the victim, and there
is no suggestion that at any time did the victim cycle up the inside
of the lorry.

==========

It is my opinion that cyclists cycling up the inside of a lorry which
is stationary at lights is a very rare event, and where this is
claimed by the driver of a lorry, it is claimed in an attempt to
mitigate their negligence in not looking properly before turning left.
Even so, cyclists in a lorry's blind spot can be seen by drivers by
either moving forward and looking through their windscreens, or by
moving their heads to check their mirrors properly.

Campaigns to alert cyclists to the mortal peril of cycling along the
inside of large vehicles are, of course, welcome to further reduce the
rare incidence of cyclists putting themselves in danger. However,
drivers of large vehicles should always take particular care of
cyclists when turning left by moving forward to look below and moving
their heads to check blindspots.

Vehicle manafacturers could do more to protect innocent road users by:
- fitting proximity sensors to vehicles
- lowering the driver position to make it easier to look below

HGV owners could do more to protect innocent road users by:
- fitting fresnel lenses to all vehicles
- fitting side bars to all vehicles, including cement mixers and skip
trucks
- offering better training to their staff and regualr refresher
courses

Cyclists could do more to protect themselves and other innocent road
users by:
- taking a position in the centre of the lane to discourage overtaking
and increase their escape zone to the left.
- blocking access down the inside of large vehicles by following
cyclists if first to arrive at the back of a stationary vehicle
- if first at red lights, adopt a position well ahead of any following
vehicles and gain eye contact with the driver, even if this means
moving forward of the stop line.

Local authorities could do more to protect innocent road users by:
- replacing railings at road junctions with bollards to discourage
motor vehicle using the footway when turning left, but allowing
cyclists an emergency escape
- installing advance stop lines at all traffic light junctions
- fitting mirrors to traffic lights to make it even easier for drivers
to see cyclists
- signs 50m back from every traffic light junction reminding cyclists
not to pass large vehicles on the left

On Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:07:15 +0100 someone who may be Tom Crispin
wrote this:-

She recalls falling under the
wheels of the lorry, the wheel running over her leg and being pulled
upwards into the body of the lorry. The lorry then stopped and
reversed, coming to rest on her leg.

Reminds me of the old one from Australian car insurance claims,
which went something like, "he was all over the place, I had to
swerve five times before I hit him."

Having come to a stop the lorry driver may well have been justified
in reversing to release his victim. However, that should have been
done with his assistant giving instructions so that the victim was
lowered back to the road and the lorry then immobilised.

The
driver of the lorry has been charged with driving without due care and
attention.

Pathetic.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54

On Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:05:07 +0100, David Hansen
wrote:

On Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:07:15 +0100 someone who may be Tom Crispin
wrote this:-

She recalls falling under the
wheels of the lorry, the wheel running over her leg and being pulled
upwards into the body of the lorry. The lorry then stopped and
reversed, coming to rest on her leg.

Reminds me of the old one from Australian car insurance claims,
which went something like, "he was all over the place, I had to
swerve five times before I hit him."

Having come to a stop the lorry driver may well have been justified
in reversing to release his victim. However, that should have been
done with his assistant giving instructions so that the victim was
lowered back to the road and the lorry then immobilised.

My understanding is that the reversing probably saved the cyclist's
life, and was done after the direction of a witness. I have no
further details about this, and my understanding that the reversing
was after the direction of a witness comes from an initial discussion
with my friend in the first few days after the crash. In the
conversation we had today, while waiting 15 minutes for the Greenwich
Foot Tunnel south lift to open, she repeated the bit about the driver
reversing, telling me that it trapped the victim's leg, but without
giving further reason for the reversing other than to release the
cyclist from the chassis of the vehicle.

The
driver of the lorry has been charged with driving without due care and
attention.

Pathetic.

My friend was a little vague about this. It was her understanding
that the charge was the most serious a driver could be charged with
after a non-fatal crash, but she did stumble over the words and was
surprised to learn that it is a relatively minor charge.

Although I have written somewhere else that these horror stories usually
lead to an unpleasant mire...
I find myself wanting to say thank you for giving a clear picture of
what happened and a thoughtful analysis of measures that may help stop
it happening so many more times. It must be hard to remain dispassionate.

--
Roger Thorpe

Standing on a golf course, dressed in PVC.....

On 8 July, 21:40, Roger Thorpe
wrote:
Although I have written somewhere else that these horror stories usually
lead to an unpleasant mire...
I find myself wanting to say thank you for giving a clear picture of
what happened and a thoughtful analysis of measures that may help stop
it happening so many more times. It must be hard to remain dispassionate.

Hear, hear.

Thanks, Tom.

On 8 July, 19:07, Tom Crispin

It is my opinion that cyclists cycling up the inside of a lorry which
is stationary at lights is a very rare event,

Tom,
I very thoughtful and sensible post, thanks.

I do however disagree with the statement quoted. I think is is
very common for cyclists in London to overtake stationary or
slow moving vehicles without regard as to the difficulty that
drivers may have in detecting them. I forget where you
live now, but I live only a few miles from
The City and as far as I can observe commuter cyclists
expect drivers to detect them wherever they are.

Crowds of cyclists "filter" through slow moving and
stationary traffic like a gas. In my view they are as
sensible as gas.

I do not in any way wish to comment on the particular incident
raised by you here. I have ablsolutely no difficulty
for example that the lorry driver in question was
following the "Golden Rule" without regard to the safety
of the cyclist.

Definition: Golden Rule
On encountering a cyclist innitiate overtaking manoeuver
immediately as if the cyclist did not exist. Make no plans
for completing the overtaking manoeuvre, if another
thought comes into your head (e.g. Turn Left Now)
during the overtaking process - Just Do It. What can
possibly go wrong? After all, it will only be a £200 fine
and one less cyclist to bother me tomorrow.

It appears as of the concept described in the Highway
Code of a vulnerable road user has exactly no force in
law.

Perhaps the CTC should campaign to have it removed
since at the end of the day it means exactly nothing.

For sure the driver's defence will likely involve
"not wearing a helmet", "not being dressed like canary";
but for some reason, Highway Code implies "take special
care of vulnerable road users" does not enter the
pans of the scales of justice. Perhaps it is time to be
more explicit?

On Jul 9, 3:07*am, Tom Crispin
wrote:

The driver of the lorry and the driver's mate were lost and were
turning left to stop in a loading bay to find out where they were. The
driver of the lorry has been charged with driving without due care and
attention.

Several witnesses support the account given by the victim, and there
is no suggestion that at any time did the victim cycle up the inside
of the lorry.

Thanks for this Tom, it sounds very much as if your earlier hypotheses
were correct.

James

On 8 July, 19:07, Tom Crispin
wrote:
I have this information from a friend who has spoken to the lady who
was nearly killed by the driver of an HGV at the junction of Peckham
High Street and Bellenden Road. *As a general warning, when reading
this, you should bear in mind that this is not a direct account of
events, but my recall of my friends recall of the account given by the
victim. *It is presented as a factual account, but inaccuracies are
likely to be present.

==========

The injured lady is due to be released from hospital tomorrow (9 July
2009). *She suffered a broken pelvis and a crushed leg. *Despite the
severity of her injuries, it is expected that she will walk again.

She was well ahead of the lorry at the junction of Peckham High Street
and Bellenden Road. *The first that she was aware of the lorry was
when it passed her on her right, and turned across her path. *The side
of the lorry came right up to her, and continued coming closer. *She
recalls banging, shouting and hammering on the side of the lorry as
she was pushed up to the railings. *She recalls falling under the
wheels of the lorry, the wheel running over her leg and being pulled
upwards into the body of the lorry. *The lorry then stopped and
reversed, coming to rest on her leg. *She was conscious the whole time
the emergency services spent at the scene to release her from under
the wheel of the lorry.

The driver of the lorry and the driver's mate were lost and were
turning left to stop in a loading bay to find out where they were. The
driver of the lorry has been charged with driving without due care and
attention.

Several witnesses support the account given by the victim, and there
is no suggestion that at any time did the victim cycle up the inside
of the lorry.

==========

It is my opinion that cyclists cycling up the inside of a lorry which
is stationary at lights is a very rare event, and where this is
claimed by the driver of a lorry, it is claimed in an attempt to
mitigate their negligence in not looking properly before turning left.
Even so, cyclists in a lorry's blind spot can be seen by drivers by
either moving forward and looking through their windscreens, or by
moving their heads to check their mirrors properly.

Campaigns to alert cyclists to the mortal peril of cycling along the
inside of large vehicles are, of course, welcome to further reduce the
rare incidence of cyclists putting themselves in danger.

The only problem with this is that it encourages victim blaming and
the usual assumption that cyclists killed or injured by HGVs MUST have
been cycling along the inside.

*However,
drivers of large vehicles should always take particular care of
cyclists when turning left by moving forward to look below and moving
their heads to check blindspots.

Vehicle manafacturers could do more to protect innocent road users by:
- fitting proximity sensors to vehicles
- lowering the driver position to make it easier to look below

HGV owners could do more to protect innocent road users by:
- fitting fresnel lenses to all vehicles
- fitting side bars to all vehicles, including cement mixers and skip
trucks
- offering better training to their staff and regualr refresher
courses

Cyclists could do more to protect themselves and other innocent road
users by:
- taking a position in the centre of the lane to discourage overtaking
and increase their escape zone to the left.
- blocking access down the inside of large vehicles by following
cyclists if first to arrive at the back of a stationary vehicle
- if first at red lights, adopt a position well ahead of any following
vehicles and gain eye contact with the driver, even if this means
moving forward of the stop line.

Local authorities could do more to protect innocent road users by:
- replacing railings at road junctions with bollards to discourage
motor vehicle using the footway when turning left, but allowing
cyclists an emergency escape

This would be a major improvement and safety measure. Railings are not
put there to stop drivers from using the footway but to prevent
pedestrians from accessing public roads.

- installing advance stop lines at all traffic light junctions
- fitting mirrors to traffic lights to make it even easier for drivers
to see cyclists
- signs 50m back from every traffic light junction reminding cyclists
not to pass large vehicles on the left

What about signs for killer drivers not to overtake cyclists when
turning left?

--
UK Radical Campaigns
www.zing.icom43.net
A driving licence is a licence to kill.

On Wed, 8 Jul 2009 16:39:24 -0700 (PDT), bod43
wrote:

On 8 July, 19:07, Tom Crispin

It is my opinion that cyclists cycling up the inside of a lorry which
is stationary at lights is a very rare event,

Tom,
I very thoughtful and sensible post, thanks.

I do however disagree with the statement quoted. I think is is
very common for cyclists in London to overtake stationary or
slow moving vehicles without regard as to the difficulty that
drivers may have in detecting them. I forget where you
live now, but I live only a few miles from
The City and as far as I can observe commuter cyclists
expect drivers to detect them wherever they are.

Crowds of cyclists "filter" through slow moving and
stationary traffic like a gas. In my view they are as
sensible as gas.

One of the great advantages of cycling in London is being able to
filter past stationary or slow moving traffic. Usually this can be
done perfectly safely and with little danger, e.g. cycling along a
cycle lane while traffic is stationary in the main lane.

Overtaking, on the left, a large vehicle at the head of a traffic
queue, with a left turn at the junction, wheh the vehicle may or may
not be signalling left is putting the cyclist in extreme danger. It
is this action which I consider very rare. And in my 25 years'
experience of cycling in London have never observed, though it has
only been in the last year or two that I have been looking out for it
specifically.


I do not in any way wish to comment on the particular incident
raised by you here. I have ablsolutely no difficulty
for example that the lorry driver in question was
following the "Golden Rule" without regard to the safety
of the cyclist.

Definition: Golden Rule
On encountering a cyclist innitiate overtaking manoeuver
immediately as if the cyclist did not exist. Make no plans
for completing the overtaking manoeuvre, if another
thought comes into your head (e.g. Turn Left Now)
during the overtaking process - Just Do It. What can
possibly go wrong? After all, it will only be a £200 fine
and one less cyclist to bother me tomorrow.

It appears as of the concept described in the Highway
Code of a vulnerable road user has exactly no force in
law.

Perhaps the CTC should campaign to have it removed
since at the end of the day it means exactly nothing.

For sure the driver's defence will likely involve
"not wearing a helmet", "not being dressed like canary";
but for some reason, Highway Code implies "take special
care of vulnerable road users" does not enter the
pans of the scales of justice. Perhaps it is time to be
more explicit?

"Tom Crispin" wrote in
message ...
...It is my opinion that cyclists cycling up the inside of a
lorry which
is stationary at lights is a very rare event, ...

Local authorities could do more to protect innocent road users
by:
...
- installing advance stop lines at all traffic light junctions
...
- signs 50m back from every traffic light junction reminding
cyclists
not to pass large vehicles on the left

Those two statements are incongruous. ASL feeder lanes must be on
the left of the carriageway.

--
MatSav