Camden collision leads to fresh infrastructure criticisms

"every time there is a collision, they will get a bit more worried about it and hopefully one day something will happen."

Or in other words, those in power are waiting until "enough" innocent people have been killed before they close-the-stable-door-after-the-horse-has-bolted. Not worth spending money unless they get a few fatalities first.

"Prevention is better than cure" is not a mantra recognised by the car-worshipping councillors.

As the road authority Camden are required by law to produce a report on a serious RTC (Section 39.3.a.(i) RTA 1988), so we should have 3 reports, which should tell us exactly the facts, and make recommendations  on what measures should be taken to prevent any future crashes.  So I'd ask  Camden, will someone need to do an FoI request or will you make these reports freely available on-line?

Now after the reports are produced Camden has another legal duty .. to tell itself what measures need to be taken to improve the safety of the road at this point (now spot the massive flaw in the legislation here).  So another FoI perhaps to drag this out.  What action has Camden taken or proposed to be taken to prevent any future RTC's (Section 39.3.b.(i))    

This of course is not the first example - we have, just 1 Km to the West the case of 2 deaths at the same junction, through the same sequence of events, both with large vehicles just 5 years apart, making a manouevre which just 2% of ALL the traffic at this junction makes.  The hazard us that the left turn is over 90 degrees, and the kerb corner radius is approximately 4 metres.  A large vehicle has a minumum radius requirement of 6 metres to turn left without running over the kerb or having to swing wide, and at this junction i) the lane widths are reduced (sub standard) to get 4 lanes fitted in (1 Westbound 1 Eastbound right turn 1 Eastbound straight ahead (with a right turn at next junction) 1 Eastbound straight ahead and left turn) ii) the left turn us constrained by traffic signal poles, and pedestrian guardrails, iii) a driver of a large vehicle must approach well to the right (in the straight ahead or right turn lane) and negotiate with traffic using the nearside lane to subvert priority - effectively to force their way across the flow to make a left turn.

The tragedy here is that the lesson should have been learned from the first fatal crash, with a proper, independent and objective investigation, highlighting the causal factors, identifying the learning points and making clear recommendations for remedial measures.  The remedial measures, are readily available and can be put in place immediately (but have still to be delivered).  A call by the coroner at the second inquest for a Rule 28 report (prevention of future deaths) generated pages of waffle but no clear statement of the solution - BAN LEFT TURNS at this junction as there are actually 2 safer routes to turn left, and banning the turn would also provide the benefit of providing an extended, whole road width,  pedestrian crossing phase at a very busy junction. 

Please use these examples to press the GLA to set up an independent Highways Accident Investigation Branch covering the GLA devolved area.  This can replace the Borough investigations (Section 39.3.a.(i)) and the TfL investigations (for roads they manage - Section 39.3.a.(ii)) and possibly the investgation units operated by the Police (which face a conundrum when it comes to investigating a crash involving a Police vehicle). 

This might also see a change to the almost 19th century system that is currently used to record most road crashes, where the first Police officer at the scene fills in a 'yellow book' by hand and posts this to a data entry clerk at Merton Police Garage, where it is manually entered on the systems (more than one) used for crash analysis and recording.  The Police want to see this upgraded to a modern and more robust arrangement, as for minor incidents especially the data is known to be of poor quality, for a variety of reasons.

Any time I've been at this junction there have been loads of cyclists, but I've never thought of it as dangerous, particularly, unlike cycling around Kings X, for example.