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Cycle Superhighway 2 left hookVideo: Driver left hooks cyclist on upgraded Cycle Superhighway
A driver has hit a cyclist on a newly-upgraded section of Cycle Superhighway 2 in London, before using the excuse “I’m pregnant and wearing glasses”.
Footage captured by another rider, who was cycling on the main carriageway at the time, shows the moment the driver of a Vauxhall Corsa turns left into the middle of a group of three cyclists, hitting the third with the side of her car.
Although cyclists riding straight along the route, which is mid-way through a major upgrade between Aldgate and Bow, have priority over turning traffic, some cyclists say side roads need to be improved to slow drivers down and encourage them to look more carefully before they turn across the bike path.
The rider, whose knees were bloodied in the collision, was wearing a hi-vis yellow jacket and had front and rear lights, but the driver claims she didn’t see him. She can be heard apologising before explaining she’s pregnant and wearing glasses. Unsurprisingly the helmet cam cyclist, who uses the name Romanian Cyclist, and the injured rider, say this is no excuse.
The injured cyclist says: "Sorry's no good, you should be looking."
TfL unveils junction designed to eliminate left turn danger for cyclists
The helmet cam cyclist had joined the main carriageway at a previous junction, where another driver waited to turn left across the cycle route, and captured the incident from behind the driver’s car.
Martin Porter QC, barrister and cycling advocate, says he would have exited the cycle superhighway at this point to avoid turning traffic, too.
Agree. Note the filming cyclist leaves the cycle track to take primary passing the junction. What I would do also. https://t.co/BI1aelsMXD
— Martin Porter QC (@MartinPorter6) November 29, 2015
Cycle Superhighway 2 is mid-way through a major upgrade that will see the majority of the route protected from traffic by concrete kerbs, with separate traffic light phases at major junctions to protect cyclists from left hooks. Road.cc reported on the first of these junctions in the summer.
The concrete kerbs disappear at side roads so motor traffic can turn, but a dotted line indicates riders using the route have priority over turning traffic. Some cyclists say the concrete kerb needs to continue closer to side roads to encourage drivers to slow down and look before turning.
CS2, in its earlier design, featured little more than just blue paint on the road, and the route became notorious when three cyclists died in three years 2011-2014 following collisions on the one mile route from Aldgate to Bow Roundabout. An extension, with protection from motor traffic, was built in 2012 from Bow to Stratford, but junction design on this section of CS2 was also criticised for providing too little protection to cyclists.
Laura Laker is a freelance journalist with more than a decade’s experience covering cycling, walking and wheeling (and other means of transport). Beginning her career with road.cc, Laura has also written for national and specialist titles of all stripes. One part of the popular Streets Ahead podcast, she sometimes appears as a talking head on TV and radio, and in real life at conferences and festivals. She is also the author of Potholes and Pavements: a Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network.
Latest Comments
- imajez 1 hour 10 min ago
Nothing new about zebra [or light controlled] crossing on roundabouts. Sheffield has had them for decades, possibly since the 1970s.
- David9694 2 hours 40 min ago
Herefordshire man fined after throwing parking ticket...
- OnYerBike 4 hours 53 sec ago
I'm sure that sort of thing will come sooner or later. But presumably a key ingredient (and why you'd turn to a big brand like Fizik) is knowing...
- muhasib 4 hours 5 min ago
"the cost to rebuild the M25 junction 10/A3 Wisley interchange is £317 million. The project is expected to be completed in 2025. "
- mark1a 4 hours 29 min ago
I think they did, from memory back in the 70s/80s... haven't seen one for years though, our current milkman uses a standard van, albeit hybrid.
- kingleo 5 hours 43 min ago
I believe that straight forks that are used on carbon frames are more dangerous than the old steel forks because they are more rigid, the old steel...
- S.E. 6 hours 15 min ago
Yes, sleep apnea produces more CO... I'm not aware of any doping effect but what do I know....
- Gd29 8 hours 23 min ago
That's true enough. But doesn't address my point that the chainset you get as a replacement will not physically fit chainrings from the chain set...
- brooksby 8 hours 54 min ago
In all fairness, it almost certainly NEVER happened…
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54 comments
I love the way some on this website dismiss cyclists who are also motorists, who have probably received more formal road training than they have and are more aware than any other road users of the dangers....
It depresses me when I see this sort of response because it shows how obdurate and blinkered 'cycling communistas' are. I don't ride a motorbike, but I have learnt a lot by following the way they approach obstacles. There are good ones and bad ones, but the good ones are worth following and listening too.
No excuse for this. There was a very obvious cycleway, the rider was clearly illuminated with flashing lights and the driver should have showed enormous caution when making the manoeuvre. But in her defence, she would have been dependent on a small wing mirror on the far side of the car, which may have been showing a number of lights and been hard to interpret, and looking over her left shoulder at a very acute angle, where the rear window pillars would have created some wide blind spots.
To avoid such problems, the cycle path should be positioned at least 5 m from the motor carriageway so that cars can start to turn and then look left and right at a much shallower angle. This is a collision that was designed into the road layout. Very poor.
I just love it went a motor biker / x motor biker, turning up to go give "cyclists" advise on how to ride. Just go an check out motor cyclists KIA states, despite being just 1% of road users motor bikers make up between 18-20% or road death. Cyclists 2% and 10% respectively.
If the cyclist in this case had been on a motor bike he would have killed himself head on into a tree or a wall, long before a car failed to give way when they should.
As a long time cyclist and motorcyclist (and car driver), I find your comment offensive and insulting.
It was intended to be offensive to self righteous motorcyclists, make of that what you will.
As a former long long time motorbiker and now (5 years) bike rider i don't think i'm riding like that, especially in the dark. He comes from behind the car, he is supposed to see the turning lights; how can he be sure that he's seen by the driver ? It could have been much worse for him.
I surely don't behave like that, even in the case the driver doesn't put his turning lights on because there's a significant probability that he turns left anyway; much too dangerous. Sure, you are on your own right, but does this help if you land in an armchair ? Some drivers are reckless but others just do errors because they are human like this lady apparently.
I'm riding my bike like i was motorbiking, with huge margins for errors because i can't afford any problem.
It must be amazing to be as great as you. Please, talk some more about yourself so we can all bask in the reflected glory of your wisdom.
and just having a read of the highway code, came across rule 183,
There really does need to be a fundemental rethink on how licencing works, will it happen? Will it f***!
plenty of junctions like it, It really is a fundemental failing of drivers to understand how priority works on turnings, YOU DO NOT HAVE IT, when crossing into a side road.
But how many drivers are aware of highway code rule 170? You can not assume you can turn into the side road and nothing will be there.
It's certainly a fundemental failure of the current driver training regime that no driver I've ever queried is aware pedestrians, who have started crossing, a side road have priority.
How are they being granted licences with this level of ignorance?
170 doesn't apply here. The priority is given to things on the side road. This situation was about crossing an adjacent lane, not a side road.
Granted 170 isn't the best example here, 183 does apply though as i read it, The point i am trying to make with quoting 170 is it just underlines the point that too many drivers seem to believe that the road has priority over everything. That placing a shielded lane next to the road reduces the importance of the shielded lane to that of a pavement and with it goes any perceived right at a junction (even though the pavement does have priority).
Are there any drivers who believe that if they are in the outside lane on a motorway they have priority over any car they overtake when they pull in and aim for an exit????
So why the difference when passing through a cycle lane????
Doesn't even have enough road sense to leave the car somewhere safe or even put the hazard warning on...
I am increasingly thinking that a driving test should be required every 5 years. It might catch out some of these clueless drivers. How they passed in the first place I'm not sure.
How did she pass the test in the first place, well there are a few thoughts that come to mind:
1. took the test before she was pregnant... (young hot ladies can sometimes pass the test through looks alone, come on we've all heard the stories)
2. took the test in wales amidst a field of sheep
3. classic "now that I've passed the test, all this mirror-signal-meanouvre is just for losers, and so is looking before you change position/speed/direction on the road"
terrible terrible road layout. Yes the blame is on the woman, but to feel that you're safe racing up the inside of an indicating car in the dark is either the sign of bad design or bad cycling, too.
Sorry, but no way can you say that the cyclist was racing. I'd say he was just giving her credit for having peripheral vision. I'm not in favour of slaying the woman for this mistake, like some people on CC, but she was plain and simple, in the wrong...
Looked to me like a typical case of indicating while rotating the steering wheel to turn. I saw only 2 flashes of the indicator before the cyclist took to the air. That's NOT NEARLY enough time to allow someone to react and brake . . even if he didn't have right of way.
"We are just coming from a funeral" was the excuse for pulling out in front of me.
“I’m pregnant and wearing glasses”
Great plea in mitigation - that should get her off with a slap on the wrist. I'd give her a life-time ban just for using that excuse.
I look forward to the day when it dawns on Britain's judges that cyclists are not only vulnerable road users but human beings too - Not some inconvenient form of road litter that you'll be tut-tutted at for driving over.
Pregnant and wearing glasses? Is that supposed to be an excuse? Pathetic. If you are that careless, you shouldn't be driving at all. Quite clear from the video that she just didn't bother to look. Dangerous driving prosecution required.
Pointless crap infrastructure, there will be many, many more videos just like this.
Im really glad I don't have to ride in London very often. With infrastructure like this I would rather mix it with the cars in the main lane, even given the extra aggression you'll get from motorists for not using the cycle lane.
Correction on the report - DrMorocho tweeted the incident but wasn't the cammer.
Thanks for pointing this out, I've now amended the article
"Martin Porter QC @MartinPorter6
Agree. Note the filming cyclist leaves the cycle track to take primary passing the junction. What I would do also. https://twitter.com/drmoroch0/status/670756751919198208 …
7:50 AM - 29 Nov 2015"
Damned if you use the cycle lane, damned if you don't, that really is a very poor design. Pretty feeble excuse though. Another for the bingo card, I think.
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