Campaign group stages ‘die in’ to highlight cyclist/HGV problem

12.00 | 3 November 2016 | | 6 comments

A London-based campaign group has staged a ‘die in’ protest in memory of a cyclist who was killed after a collision with a HGV.

‘Stop Killing Cyclists’ organised the vigil for Lucia Ciccioli, who was hit by a lorry while cycling in Battersea on 24 October. The protest took place on 31 October and was attended by scores of cyclists.

Speakers addressed the crowd before staging what is known as a ‘die in’, which involves protestors lying down on the street as if they had been knocked off their bicycle. Candles were lit and a ‘ghost bike’ placed at the scene.

Stop Killing Cyclists was set up after six cyclists were killed in London in November 2013, to carry out ‘direct action in protest against traffic violence’.

The group has organised a series of die-ins, the most high-profile of which took place outside of the Department for Transport in April 2016

It is calling on London mayor Sadiq Khan to introduce with immediate effect a complete ban on poor visibility HGVs and a compulsory change to ‘zero blind spot’ HGV cabs, along with rush hour restrictions for all HGVs.

The group points to figures which show that since January 2009, 91 cyclists aged over 16-years have been killed on roads in Greater London. 35 of these were women, 29 of whom were killed in collisions involving HGVs. The group also says that in 2016 to date, 13 pedestrians have been killed in collisions involving HGVs.

Caspar Hughes, Stop Killing Cyclists, said: “[This] tragedy once again highlights the awful nature of allowing HGVs with poor all round visibility on the streets. 

“These needless deaths are avoidable if the haulage industry prioritised health and safety in public places. Stop Killing Cyclists will continue to demand that London and the UK’s streets are fit for purpose and safe for people by prioritising active transport.”

Photo: Stop Killing Cyclists (@StopKillingCycl) via Twitter.

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Order by Latest first | Oldest first | Highest rated | Lowest rated

    Seems to me that the Health and Safety of others was not an issue until cycling was promoted out there on our overcrowded and busy roads with an infrastructure designed over the last 5 decades that due to a general lack of cyclists, did not have to take them into consideration.

    I am reminded by someone who previously argued on this site that cars and other vehicles should be taken off the streets and that would keep cyclists safer. How about cyclists being taken off the streets and a return to sanity then we would see a dramatic reduction in incidents relating to them. More lives saved.


    Bob Craven Lancs
    Agree (1) | Disagree (0)
    +1

    If cyclists would obey the Highway Code they would not ride up the inside of turning vehicles and there would be fewer accidents.


    Robert Bolt, St Albans
    Agree (1) | Disagree (0)
    +1

    Cyclists appear to wear a different hat when on two wheels & think everyone else is in the wrong. I accept that not all lorry/car drivers are blameless but cyclists need to take a hard look in the mirror & stop blaming everyone else. We ALL need to share the road & ALL use it responsibly!


    Keith Northampton
    Agree (1) | Disagree (0)
    +1

    While I accept that any road deaths are tragic, some cyclists do need to learn basic road courtesy for their own safety – such as stopping at red lights, give way markings, before entering a roundabout and not come up the nearside of any vehicle, particularly large ones, if they are indicating to turn left.


    Claire, County Durham
    Agree (1) | Disagree (0)
    +1

    To have zero blind spots means articulated vehicles required articulated mirrors that follow the side of the vehicle at all times. Show me how to make this affordable.


    Tom Hillard
    Agree (0) | Disagree (0)
    0

    Revised and updated demands for this coming Monday’s protest after Filipino was crushed to death by an HGV on Monday.

    Stop Killing Cyclists demand healthy streets, streets on which it is safe for ordinary people to walk and cycle.

    1 Ban all 0,1 & 2 star rated HGV’s by Dec 17, only allow 5 star beyond 2023

    2 Accelerate the program of cycling infrastructure that was started by previous mayor

    3 Commit to spend £250 million of the next budget on active transport working towards 10% of TfL budget for cycling and walking by 2020

    4 Mandatory requirement for London operators & councils to adopt Construction Logistic and Cyclist Safety (CLOCS)

    5 TfL to extend Confidential Incident Reporting & Analysis (CIRAS) to all HGVs working for Crossrail and Transport for London immediately and – by the end of 2017 – any HGV Operator working on London’s roads should be signed up to an independent confidential safety incident reporting scheme

    6 Trial an Idaho Stop Law that allows cyclists to treat red traffic lights as stop & give way junctions, with full right of way for pedestrians


    Caspar Hughes
    Agree (0) | Disagree (1)
    --1

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