Sky updates' investigation found riders
dicing with death by not using
lights or helmets and wearing
earphones and dark clothing
Cyclists up and down the country
are breaking the law – and dicing
with death – by pedalling around
in the dark without lights.
A Mirror investigation found riders
flouting road rules before sunrise
and after sundown in six cities.
Many were also risking their lives
by riding without helmets and
wearing headphones and dark-
coloured clothing.
One photographer who watched
after sundown at a roundabout at
Bow, East London, where three
cyclists have been killed in two
years, said: “In a 40-minute
period I saw six or seven cyclists
without lights. Many more were
not wearing helmets or high-vis
clothing or had headphones on.”
Our investigation was launched in
the wake of the deaths of six
cyclists in London in the past two
weeks.
Only two were killed in darkness
and there are no indications that
any of them were breaking the
law, but the tragedies have led to
calls for greater care to be taken
by cyclists.
Road safety charity Brake’s senior
campaigns officer Ellen Booth
said: “It’s vital cyclists do
everything they can to protect
themselves on roads.
“This includes wearing high-vis
clothing and the correct
equipment, including a helmet.
And at night they must have lights
on their bikes. When it gets darker
at this time of year drivers must
be aware of cyclists.”
She added: “We urge local
authorities to ensure they
consider the safety of cyclists
during highway planning.”
Under the 1989 Road Vehicles
Lighting Regulations, all cyclists
using public roads must have a
front and rear light, and a rear
reflector between sunset and
sunrise.
Chris Juden, of national cycling
charity CTC, said: “People like to
criticise cyclists, so don’t give
them the chance. Play safe, get
some lights. It is as simple as
that.”
Greater Manchester Police has
this week been stopping law-
breaking cyclists and making them
either watch a safety video or pay
a £60 fine.
Police in London are set to station
traffic officers on major streets
and notorious junctions issuing
£30 fixed penalty notices for
unsafe riding.
London mayor Boris Johnson’s
cycling commissioner Andrew
Gilligan said: “This is a huge
escalation to the checks we are
doing already. We must act as a
result of the recent spate of
appalling accidents.”
Metropolitan Police Chief Supt
Glyn Jones added: “We will be
focusing on people driving
carelessly or recklessly, whether
they are drivers or cyclists.”
Cyclists warned to ride safely
Lights and wrongs: What the law
says
The Road Vehicles Lighting
Regulations 1989 state it is illegal
to cycle on a public road between
sunset and sunrise without lights
and reflectors.
They must be clean and working
properly.
They are not required when the
bike is stationary or being pushed
along.
The recent death toll on London's
roads
Monday, 18 November
A male cyclist died after colliding
with a lorry on Camberwell Road
in South East London at 12.07am.
The man, in his early 60s, suffered
serious injuries and was
pronounced dead at the scene 30
minutes later.
The male lorry driver stopped at
the scene, but was not arrested.
Wednesday, 13 November
A male cyclist died after a
collision with a double-decker
bus at around 11.30pm at the
junction of Whitechapel Road and
Commercial Road.
He was taken to hospital but was
died at around 4am today.
The male driver of bus was treated
at the scene for shock. There
have been no arrests.
Wednesday, 13 November
Russian national Venera
Minakhmetova, 24. was killed in a
collision with a lorry on the Bow
roundabout in East London.
It is believed the lorry was
travelling west along the A11,
entering the roundabout to turn
south towards the Blackwall
Tunnel.
Venera is believed to have been
cycling west along the A11 when
the collision occurred at 8.47am.
The male driver of the lorry
stopped at the scene and spoke to
officers - there have been no
arrests.
Tuesday, 12 November
43-year-old IT consultant Roger
William De Klerk, of Forest Hill,
died following a collision with a
bus outside East Croydon railway
station.
The cyclist was treated at the
scene and taken to St George's
Hospital where he was
pronounced dead at 1:22pm.
The bus stopped at the scene and
the driver was not arrested.
Tuesday, 5 November
Architect Francis Golding, 69, died
after a collision with a coach in
Southampton Row, central
London, at around 6.45pm.
He was taken to St Mary's
Hospital for treatment where he
died three days later on the Friday
evening.
The coach stopped at the scene.
The driver was not arrested.
Tuesday, 5 November
Hospital porter Brian Holt, 62, died
at the scene after a collision with
a tipper lorry on Mile End Road at
around 4.40pm.
Police believe the collision
occurred as the lorry moved off
from stationary traffic - the lorry
was not turning at the time of the
collision.
The driver of the lorry stopped at
the scene and has been
interviewed by officers under
caution. He has not been arrested.
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