Metropolitan Police visit scene of HGV and cyclist near miss caught on film

Officers from the Metropolitan Police Service have today visited the location near Blackfriars Bridge where a near miss involving a lorry and a cyclist was filmed last week.

> Video: Alarmingly close call with HGV – London cyclist says footage highlights issues with long-term temporary layout of CS3

Cyclist 4 Chords No Net who filmed the incident, which happened where Cycle Superhighway 3 crosses the Victoria Embankment between Temple and Blackfriars Bridge, said that there are two major problems at the location.

One is that hoardings associated with works on the Thames Tideway ‘Super Sewer’ project mean that motorists travelling westbound cannot see cyclists waiting to cross the road, and likewise the riders’ view of oncoming traffic is blocked.

Secondly, the phasing of the traffic signals is such that the lights for cyclists turn from red to amber at the same time as the lights for motorists turn red.

Fortunately, the lorry driver was able to brake in sufficient time to avoid hitting the cyclists crossing the road.

In a tweet this morning, the Met’s Cycle Safety Team said: “Many of you may have seen the footage of the near miss between the HGV and Cyclist on Victoria Embankment at Blackfriars.

“We have visited the location this morning and all relevant stakeholders have been contacted to find a solution.”

They added: “There is a fault in the light phasing which is being addressed.”