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| London cyclist deaths: What other cities could teach the capital | London cyclist deaths: What other cities could teach the capital |
| (2 days later) | |
| A cyclist has died in a crash with a tipper truck, making her the eighth cyclist to die on London's roads this year. Could the capital learn anything from other cities to keep its cyclists safe? | A cyclist has died in a crash with a tipper truck, making her the eighth cyclist to die on London's roads this year. Could the capital learn anything from other cities to keep its cyclists safe? |
| The death of the 26-year-old woman on Monday morning came just three days after a 50-year-old cyclist died following a collision with a car in Harrow. Last year a total of 13 cyclists were killed on London's roads and 14 died in 2013. | The death of the 26-year-old woman on Monday morning came just three days after a 50-year-old cyclist died following a collision with a car in Harrow. Last year a total of 13 cyclists were killed on London's roads and 14 died in 2013. |
| Here are five ideas from other cities that might help to improve safety for cyclists. | Here are five ideas from other cities that might help to improve safety for cyclists. |
| Amsterdam - Let cyclists rule the streets | Amsterdam - Let cyclists rule the streets |
| If more people commuted by bicycle there would be fewer cars on the roads and therefore fewer vehicles with the potential to kill cyclists. | If more people commuted by bicycle there would be fewer cars on the roads and therefore fewer vehicles with the potential to kill cyclists. |
| But it is a Catch-22 situation, because some people are too afraid to cycle because of the safety risks. | But it is a Catch-22 situation, because some people are too afraid to cycle because of the safety risks. |
| This problem has been overcome in The Netherlands, where there are more bicycles than residents and in cities like Amsterdam and The Hague up to 70% of all journeys are made by bike. | This problem has been overcome in The Netherlands, where there are more bicycles than residents and in cities like Amsterdam and The Hague up to 70% of all journeys are made by bike. |
| But it was not always this way. Car ownership rocketed in the 1950s and 1960s, roads became increasingly congested and there was a huge rise in the number of deaths on the roads. | But it was not always this way. Car ownership rocketed in the 1950s and 1960s, roads became increasingly congested and there was a huge rise in the number of deaths on the roads. |
| In 1971 more than 3,000 people were killed by motor vehicles, 450 of them children. | In 1971 more than 3,000 people were killed by motor vehicles, 450 of them children. |
| In response a movement called Stop de Kindermoord (Stop the Child Murder) was formed, demanding safer cycling conditions for children. | In response a movement called Stop de Kindermoord (Stop the Child Murder) was formed, demanding safer cycling conditions for children. |
| The Middle East oil crisis of 1973, when oil-producing countries stopped exports to the US and Western Europe, also applied further pressure. | The Middle East oil crisis of 1973, when oil-producing countries stopped exports to the US and Western Europe, also applied further pressure. |
| The Dutch government then invested in improved cycling infrastructure and Dutch urban planners started to diverge from car-centric road-building policies. | The Dutch government then invested in improved cycling infrastructure and Dutch urban planners started to diverge from car-centric road-building policies. |
| Paris - Tougher restrictions on lorries | Paris - Tougher restrictions on lorries |
| In Paris and Dublin there are tight restrictions on lorries. | In Paris and Dublin there are tight restrictions on lorries. |
| In Paris, trucks bigger than 43 metres squared cannot drive without special dispensation, while smaller trucks are restricted to certain times of the day. | |
| In Dublin there is a ban on vehicles with more than five axles between 07:00 and 19:00 within a designated cordon and permits are needed for vehicles to load and unload. | In Dublin there is a ban on vehicles with more than five axles between 07:00 and 19:00 within a designated cordon and permits are needed for vehicles to load and unload. |
| Olympian cyclist Chris Boardman called on London Mayor Boris Johnson in 2013 to consider banning lorries from some of the capital's roads during peak times. | Olympian cyclist Chris Boardman called on London Mayor Boris Johnson in 2013 to consider banning lorries from some of the capital's roads during peak times. |
| But Mr Johnson told BBC London 94.9 he was not convinced by the argument, saying a peak-time ban risked damaging London companies and creating a "serious influx as soon as the ban is over". | But Mr Johnson told BBC London 94.9 he was not convinced by the argument, saying a peak-time ban risked damaging London companies and creating a "serious influx as soon as the ban is over". |
| A Safer Lorry Scheme is due to come into force in London from this September, under which large lorries without safety equipment are to be "effectively banned". | A Safer Lorry Scheme is due to come into force in London from this September, under which large lorries without safety equipment are to be "effectively banned". |
| Any vehicle weighing more than 3.5 tonnes will need to have side guards and extra mirrors to go on roads in Greater London - apart from motorways. | Any vehicle weighing more than 3.5 tonnes will need to have side guards and extra mirrors to go on roads in Greater London - apart from motorways. |
| Baroness Jenny Jones, Green Party peer, has raised the idea of a rush hour ban again, following the latest death. | Baroness Jenny Jones, Green Party peer, has raised the idea of a rush hour ban again, following the latest death. |
| She tweeted: "So sad and such a waste. What is being done to make tipper trucks safer? | She tweeted: "So sad and such a waste. What is being done to make tipper trucks safer? |
| "Ban all tipper trucks and large lorries at rush hour to give cyclists and pedestrians a chance to stay safe." | "Ban all tipper trucks and large lorries at rush hour to give cyclists and pedestrians a chance to stay safe." |
| Tokyo - More cycling on pavements | Tokyo - More cycling on pavements |
| In Tokyo and elsewhere in Japan it is common to see cyclists and pedestrians sharing pavements. | In Tokyo and elsewhere in Japan it is common to see cyclists and pedestrians sharing pavements. |
| However, cyclists in the UK can find themselves in trouble with the police for doing the same thing - even if they are a four-year-old girl who still uses stabilisers. | However, cyclists in the UK can find themselves in trouble with the police for doing the same thing - even if they are a four-year-old girl who still uses stabilisers. |
| Not all pavement cycling is illegal, as some paths have signs indicating their use is shared between cyclists and pedestrians. | Not all pavement cycling is illegal, as some paths have signs indicating their use is shared between cyclists and pedestrians. |
| There has been ongoing debate about balancing the safety of cyclists with the safety of pedestrians. | There has been ongoing debate about balancing the safety of cyclists with the safety of pedestrians. |
| The parents of a Buckingham girl who was killed by a cyclist have campaigned for the introduction of more serious penalties for cyclists who cause deaths. | The parents of a Buckingham girl who was killed by a cyclist have campaigned for the introduction of more serious penalties for cyclists who cause deaths. |
| However, the number of pedestrians killed or seriously injured by cyclists is small compared to the number of cyclists killed by cars, lorries and other road vehicles. | However, the number of pedestrians killed or seriously injured by cyclists is small compared to the number of cyclists killed by cars, lorries and other road vehicles. |
| Malmö - Two-way cycle lanes | Malmö - Two-way cycle lanes |
| Most cycle lanes in the UK are painted on the side of normal roads, meaning cars, lorries and other vehicles can drive in them and potentially hit cyclists. | Most cycle lanes in the UK are painted on the side of normal roads, meaning cars, lorries and other vehicles can drive in them and potentially hit cyclists. |
| There are further problems when vehicles park in cycle lanes, forcing cyclists to weave in and out of them and into the path of traffic. | There are further problems when vehicles park in cycle lanes, forcing cyclists to weave in and out of them and into the path of traffic. |
| In contrast, the Swedish city of Malmö has a network of two-way cycle lanes for cyclists which are kept separate from the areas of the road reserved for cars. | In contrast, the Swedish city of Malmö has a network of two-way cycle lanes for cyclists which are kept separate from the areas of the road reserved for cars. |
| Olle Evenäs, a traffic planner for Malmö, attributed the city's cycling safety record to these lanes. | |
| "We never have painted lanes as cycle tracks; we always have a dedicated surface which is separated from the car traffic by a divider and up a level from car traffic," he said. | "We never have painted lanes as cycle tracks; we always have a dedicated surface which is separated from the car traffic by a divider and up a level from car traffic," he said. |
| A higher proportion of journeys are made by bicycle in Malmö compared to London - with estimates usually put at 25% or 30%, compared to 1% or 2% for London. | |
| But between 2003 and 2012 there were only 16 cyclists killed in an accident involving a car in Malmö. | |
| Copenhagen - A 'Cycle Snake' | Copenhagen - A 'Cycle Snake' |
| A bright orange bicycle-only bridge called the Cykelslangen opened in Copenhagen, Denmark, last year. | A bright orange bicycle-only bridge called the Cykelslangen opened in Copenhagen, Denmark, last year. |
| As well as keeping cyclists safely away from cars, the bridge keeps cyclists out of the way of pedestrians on the harbour front. | As well as keeping cyclists safely away from cars, the bridge keeps cyclists out of the way of pedestrians on the harbour front. |
| Young cyclists in Copenhagen told BBC Newsround the bridge, also known as the Cycle Snake, made them feel safer. | Young cyclists in Copenhagen told BBC Newsround the bridge, also known as the Cycle Snake, made them feel safer. |