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.
Add new comment
2 comments
This girl was a relative of some family freinds, and it's depserately sad that this has happened.
It makes me so angry that the authorities neglect cycle infrastructure to such an extent that an ordinary girl is killed using the public highway in a perfectly leagal way. This is why I get very annoyed with people I know who say "but cyclists just get in the way" and "why should we spend money in bike paths when people don't cycle much" - because people die doing something that should be as ordinary as walking, and doing something that harms nobody else.
There is no reason that this should have happened at all. It's pathetic that its almost 2020 and you should only epxect to be "safe" on our roads if you're in a metal box.
Condolances.
Everything you say is true, but another death doesn't mean anything to the people who ultimately could stop up certain roads to motor traffic or dedicate half the road for bi-directional cycling with absolute priority and at the very least ensure motor traffic has to slow to safe speeds in built up areas. It doesn't mean anything to the local police who will yet again insist on helmets/hi-vis and cycle training for children as the main defence against getting killed (despite zero evidence this works, quite the contrary), the police may not even bother charging the person doing the harm because of lack of such.
It's a meaningless death to out of touch judges who will not ever hand out fair sentences/charges to those that kill and maim to act as a deterrent. it's a meaningless death to equally out of touch coronor's who will suggest this or that could have been done by the vulnerable person despite never applying that to any other person in society and basically victim blame just like the police and many others and find excuses for the driver as always. it'll be a meaningless death to the general public who think if a child makes a minor error then it's all on them for what happens.
Be prepared for all of that!
Good luck getting 'justice', you will need it!