Cycling in London

Cycling in London

The third user of the streets apart from the pedestrians and cars are the cyclists. This is one of the most problematic groups as they are blamed for accidents on the roads and for not observing the highway code yet London is a death trap for cyclists. Many people are put off cycling in the city because in many ways it is a death trap,

It is a common sight to see bundles of flowers marking the spot where a cyclist was killed usually at a busy road junction. Lorry drivers claim not to see them and the death toll on the roads is very high.

At the moment the talk is of ensuring lorries are fitted with special safety equipment as well as a new network of cycle lanes in order to segregate cyclists and pedestrians.

It has been reported that cyclist themselves are becoming more worried about the roads. The number of accidents is fairly staggering. What should be an easy way to keep fit is increasingly being seen as a death trap.

London does not for instance have the history of a bicycle friendly culture that you have in many Dutch and Belgian cities and an unfortunate consequence of the way cyclists are treated on the roads is that they spill out onto paths in parks and on to pavements where they come into conflict with pedestrians.

One thing is certain. Changing the culture of the roads in London will be a lot more complicated that appears and any change will  necessitate a lot of foresight in order to bring motorists, cyclists and pedestrians into relative harmony