London road users urged to take more care after death of cyclist in her 20s
There have been eight traffic deaths on the streets of the capital in the last five days
London transport bosses have called for road users to take more care after the death of a cyclist in her 20s.
The unnamed rider was the eighth traffic death in the capital in just the last five days, sparking major concerns about road safety.
In the most recent tragedy, the cyclist was crushed by a cement lorry in Battersea in south-west London at around 3pm on Thursday (July 4), the Evening Standard newspaper reports.
>>> Elderly driver faces jail after mowing down and assaulting 17-year-old cyclist
Other fatalities in the last week include an 86-year-old woman who was hit by a coach, and five motorbike riders involved in fatal crashes.
The Major of London Sadiq Khan, Transport for London and the Metropolitan Police have been pushing to reduce the number of road deaths to zero by 2041, as part of the Vision Zero project.
Director of Vision Zero at TfL Stuart Reid said: “It has been an extremely tragic week for road fatalities. Tragedy on our roads should not be expected or tolerated and we are working hard to cut this down to zero – the only acceptable number.
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“We need everyone in London, regardless of how you’re travelling, to take more care on the roads and be aware of the people around you.”
A total of three cyclists have died in London this year – a 34-year-old man who collided with a car in Hounslow, and a man in his 50s who hit with a wall in West Hampstead.
>>> New Channel 5 show ‘Cyclists: The scourge of our streets?’ sparks outrage
Earlier this week, a BMW driver was jailed for 20 months after a horrific hit and run in London.
Sean Fagan, 29, lost control of his car and swerved onto the wrong side of the road on Easter Sunday (April 21), hitting cyclist Josh Dey head on.
Medical student Mr Dey was left with brain injuries and a number of fractures as Fagan fled the scene of the crash, which happened in Swain’s Lane in London.
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Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
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