A video recently surfaced of a risky overtake attempted by a female cyclist during rush hour in London’s cycle superhighway around the Blackfriars area. The incident resulted in 3 people sustaining injuries and asks whether some areas are now at capacity and need expanding to allow safer overtakes and avoid other collisions.
Revolution for London cycling
Following successful implementations of other “superhighways” in bicycle friendly countries like Denmark, London added its own versions, giving people a safe alternative to fighting against the masses of cars commuting into the city each day.
The congestion zone within central London recently saw car traffic rise for the first time in years down to a combination of cheaper petrol and population growth. The cycle superhighways are split into segregated segments covering various boroughs of London and look to accommodate more cyclists and promote fewer cars within the congestion zone.
The introduction of dedicated cycle areas in busy areas of London have paid dividends for encouraging people to take to 2 wheels rather than 4 as statistics show that in the year 2000, there were 11 cars for every bike whereas now that has been reduced to just 2 cars per every bike.
Departing London Mayor Boris Johnson told leading cycling news site BikeBiz “cycling in London has never been more popular.” Pleased with the progress made during his tenure, he added “The first one to open, at Vauxhall, has in only four months led to a 73 per cent increase in cycling across Vauxhall Bridge.”
“I have every belief that the same will be true of the further four Superhighways we have almost completed”.
Crowded lanes
The drawback to the superhighways currently seems to reside in their popularity. While not finished, cycle traffic on these lanes is rising fast in both directions. The uptake of Londoners cycling to work has prompted questions of possible extending the lanes already to handle more traffic during rush hours.
One incident which took place recently at the Blackfriars stretch of highway resulted in 3 cyclists being knocked from their bikes and injured following one cyclist’s attempted overtake.
The reported incident (video below) resulted in the female rider leave with a swollen (possibly broken) finger and the other 2 bikers left with a few bumps and bruises. All 3 were able to continue their journey but has prompted questions regarding the control of traffic in the cycle superhighways.
Does London’s superhighways need ways to handle overtaking traffic safely?
Injuries from negligence
Injuries on the road caused by negligent road users are not acceptable; no matter who causes them. This includes cyclists as well as drivers. The above video demonstrates that performing difficult manoeuvres even on slower moving vehicles like bikes can result in incidents and road users being knocked over. Thankfully in this case there were very few injuries other than bruises; but there is always potential for serious damage when a cyclist is knocked from their bike. For this reason it is imperative that all road users look after one another.
Scott Rees & Co have assisted cyclists before claim compensation for injuries caused not only by drivers but also other cyclists who are not using the road legally or safely. If you, a family member or friend suffers an injury commuting or riding leisurely, you can seek legal assistance.
We offer a ‘no win no fee’ claims service which ensures you will not pay a penny if your claim is unsuccessful (however we do take pride in our high success rate). If you feel you could benefit from legal representation following an injury (of any severity) you can get in touch by calling 01695 722 222; lines are open weekdays from 9am to 7pm.
Alternatively you can get in touch online by filling in our online form. By filling in the form with details of the incident our expert team can look into the case and give you free, impartial, honest advice on how best to deal with the situation. Get in touch today to see what we can do for you.