- News
- Reviews
- Bikes
- Accessories
- Accessories - misc
- Computer mounts
- Bags
- Bar ends
- Bike bags & cases
- Bottle cages
- Bottles
- Cameras
- Car racks
- Child seats
- Computers
- Glasses
- GPS units
- Helmets
- Lights - front
- Lights - rear
- Lights - sets
- Locks
- Mirrors
- Mudguards
- Racks
- Pumps & CO2 inflators
- Puncture kits
- Reflectives
- Smart watches
- Stands and racks
- Trailers
- Clothing
- Components
- Bar tape & grips
- Bottom brackets
- Brake & gear cables
- Brake & STI levers
- Brake pads & spares
- Brakes
- Cassettes & freewheels
- Chains
- Chainsets & chainrings
- Derailleurs - front
- Derailleurs - rear
- Forks
- Gear levers & shifters
- Groupsets
- Handlebars & extensions
- Headsets
- Hubs
- Inner tubes
- Pedals
- Quick releases & skewers
- Saddles
- Seatposts
- Stems
- Wheels
- Tyres
- Health, fitness and nutrition
- Tools and workshop
- Miscellaneous
- Tubeless valves
- Buyers Guides
- Features
- Forum
- Recommends
- Podcast
No cycling on the pavement sign (CC licensed by Leo Reynolds:Flickr)'Cycling champion' knocked out by pavement cyclist calls for action against reckless riders
'A ‘cycling champion’ who was knocked out by a pavement cyclist who crashed into her just after she had attended a meeting about cycle routes has called on the police to get tougher on reckless riders.
Emma Robinson, who as town centre manager for Barnes in south west London has been involved in planning improvement to cycling infrastructure in the area, was left badly concussed after the collision in Twickenham in August.
Doctors have said it may take Mrs Robinson, who suffered a blackout the following day and is still affected by dizzy spells, as much as three months to fully recover., reports the London Evening Standard.
She told the newspaper that the incident has left her feeling anxious when she walks along the street.
“It was a very scary moment,” she said. “It was literally moments after I had come out of the offices and the next thing I knew I was on the ground.
“I flew through the air and hit my head which meant there was a lot of blood. When I did come to I remember I had no vision and couldn’t feel my arms and then I just remember this pain in my head.”
The cyclist stopped at the scene but on being told the police had been called, tried to make off.
According to the website Putney SW15, Steven Mindel, the chair of the Barnes Community Association, chased and caught him and police subsequently made an arrest.
Zac Goldsmith, Member of Parliament for Richmond Park, whose constituency includes Barnes, told the website: "Emma has been a champion for cyclists, as well as a brilliantly active town centre manager.”
The Conservative politician, beaten by Labour’s Sadiq Khan in the London mayoral election in May, added: “I’m pleased she has recovered, but appalled by what happened. Clearly the police need to take a stronger stance on this sort of behaviour."
His call for police to enforce the law against those who ride recklessly and endanger others was echoed by Mrs Robinson.
“I am someone who has championed cycling provision but it does need to be balanced,” she told the Standard. “Cyclists need to respect pedestrians and follow at safe speeds. This chap clearly wasn’t.
“I’m a great advocate of getting people on bikes and improving routes so people can get around quicker and easier but with that comes hand in hand with respecting pedestrians.
“I have an element of anxiety when I’m out and the other day as I was crossing in Barnes High Street a cyclist whizzed through a red light and in front of me. I thought it was happening again.
“I’m not sure what can be done but there doesn’t seem to be any significant penalties for cycling on the pavement or for riders who whizz through red lights. The feeling I got from police was that there was nothing they could do in my case.
“Had this man hit an elderly man or my young daughter it could have been a different story,” she added.
The charge most commonly brought against cyclists who have injured pedestrians while riding is causing bodily harm by wilful misconduct by wanton and furious driving, contrary to section 35 of the Offences Against The Person Act 1861.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
Latest Comments
- bensynnock 28 min 21 sec ago
Stick it in the road.
- Hirsute 1 hour 26 min ago
If you can't see a %^$&ing large tractor what ^%$£"!*ing hope is there that you will see a cyclist ?...
- chrisonabike 1 hour 44 min ago
Well if you *can* interview the original riders at all surely they worked, at least?...
- David9694 2 hours 13 min ago
Live: Car plunges over wall and lands on beach rocks...
- biking59boomer 2 hours 19 min ago
Looks like yet another bike share service that's going to fold because of selfish idiots.
- quiff 6 hours 24 min ago
Fair point - I was restricting myself to pedal bikes. As I've never spent that kind of money on anything though (mortgage doesn't count), it's kind...
- brooksby 7 hours 26 min ago
And finally: I wonder how many of the "more than 3,000" signatures on that petition are actually locals, who live or work there (and are not just...
- Doug_D 9 hours 2 min ago
Another book suggestion - I can highly recommend "Lost Summers and Half-Forgotten Afternoons: A Mint Sauce collection" - a beautifully presented...
Add new comment
35 comments
Though if penalties for seriously crap cycling also included a lengthy driving-ban, it might serve a purpose, as those anti-social cyclists will probably soon go on to become dangerous drivers.
She wasn't knocked over by a car or pedestrian. That would be a totally different story wouldn't it and absolutely irrelevant to this one.
It's not entirely irrelevant, as one can notice an asymmetricality in how stories are covered, depending on whether it's a cyclist or a motorist who has injured someone (I am sure that if you compare the media coverage per-incident in each case there'd be quite a disparity, e.g. that R4 "You and Yours" episode).
I still detest the pavement-racers, mind you. But having had lots of run-ins with both them and their motorised equivalents, its pretty clear to me they are exactly the same kinds of people, just the latter are more heavily armed.
If she was knocked over by a car or pedestrian it wouldnt be a news story, regular occurances arnt news stories.
I agree. It wouldn't be a news story...on a cycling website.
Pages