05.08.2014
The 28-year-old was struck by the vehicle at around 19:30 BST and although a doctor who was walking nearby tried to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and a member of the public acquired a defibrillator from the nearby Monument Tube station, the cyclist was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics when they arrived six minutes later.
Speaking to the Evening Standard, a City of London Police spokesman suggested the accident may have been caused by a rider error when he clipped the central reservation.
He stated: "On Saturday at around 7.30pm a male cyclist travelling northbound across London Bridge hit the central reservation and fell into the southbound carriageway where he was struck by a car."
The spokesperson also noted that the driver had remained at the scene and has been "helping the City of London Police with its ongoing investigation".
While the inquiry will seek to shed light on whether or not the driver was in any way culpable for the incident, the tragedy may be an indicator of the level of danger posed by the sheer volume of traffic on the roads in London and other major cities, where the margin for error is lower for cyclists and any error could lead to a fatality.
The most recent national figures for road accidents in the UK, covering 2013, showed that there were 109 fatalities and 3,143 serious injuries suffered by cyclists. These numbers were down by ten and three per cent respectively from 2012 and were in line with a general fall in serious road accidents.
Responding to the figures, which were published last month, deputy chief executive of road safety charity Brake Julie Townsend described every death as "a senseless and preventable waste of life" and said the only acceptable number of road deaths was nil.
Tally Of Fatal Rider Accidents In Capital In 2014 Rises To Seven
A cyclist who died after a collision with a vehicle on London Bridge on Saturday (August 2nd) was the seventh rider killed on the capital's roads so far this year.The 28-year-old was struck by the vehicle at around 19:30 BST and although a doctor who was walking nearby tried to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and a member of the public acquired a defibrillator from the nearby Monument Tube station, the cyclist was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics when they arrived six minutes later.
Speaking to the Evening Standard, a City of London Police spokesman suggested the accident may have been caused by a rider error when he clipped the central reservation.
He stated: "On Saturday at around 7.30pm a male cyclist travelling northbound across London Bridge hit the central reservation and fell into the southbound carriageway where he was struck by a car."
The spokesperson also noted that the driver had remained at the scene and has been "helping the City of London Police with its ongoing investigation".
While the inquiry will seek to shed light on whether or not the driver was in any way culpable for the incident, the tragedy may be an indicator of the level of danger posed by the sheer volume of traffic on the roads in London and other major cities, where the margin for error is lower for cyclists and any error could lead to a fatality.
The most recent national figures for road accidents in the UK, covering 2013, showed that there were 109 fatalities and 3,143 serious injuries suffered by cyclists. These numbers were down by ten and three per cent respectively from 2012 and were in line with a general fall in serious road accidents.
Responding to the figures, which were published last month, deputy chief executive of road safety charity Brake Julie Townsend described every death as "a senseless and preventable waste of life" and said the only acceptable number of road deaths was nil.
Expert Opinion
While very little is so far known regarding the cause of this crash, it is yet another tragic incident involving a cyclist on London’s roads. Any number of deaths on the roads is too many and it is vital that those investigating work quickly to provide answers regarding this incident, as well as what can be done to prevent further incidents of this nature from occurring in the future. <br/> <br/>“Sadly, we see many people whose lives have been devastated as a consequence of collisions on the road, particularly vulnerable users such as cyclists and pedestrians. <br/> <br/>“While we would urge anyone travelling on roads to always put safety first, it is also important that local authorities regularly review and where possible implement measures to ensure routes are suitable for all kinds of road users.”
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