Pedestrians hit by vehicles while on the pavement - the data

Yesterday I posted about pedestrians hit by vehicles on pedestrian crossings and how the vast majority of those are motor vehicles, despite a perception that this is a particular problem with cyclists. Today I am looking at pedestrians who have been injured while on the pavement, also a common complaint about cyclists.

The map below shows the vehicles which have hit pedestrians on the footway, verge or refuge/central island in the years 2005-2015.

In this case a shocking 97% of pedestrians hit on the pavement were hit by motor vehicles, with just 3% of the injuries attributed to cyclists. This presumably includes 'shared space' pavements where cycling is permitted and encouraged.

Again this highlights that if local councillors are serious about pedestrian safety they need to focus on the danger caused by motor traffic. I would also encourage them to reject the many poorly designed and poorly signposted shared space pavement schemes, which even though it does not result in many accidents, often gives the impression cyclists are being inconsiderate when they have been encouraged to use the pavement.  

Key:

Car - yellow marker (there isn't a car symbol)

Bus, coach or minibus - bus icon

All vans and goods vehicles - truck icon

Motorcycle - motorcycle icon

Pedal cycle - bicycle icon

Taxi/Private hire car - cab icon

For more detail on any of the data points simply click on the icon.

These maps are based on the data STATS19 police collision report data from 2005-2015 inclusive (11 years of data). If you want the full details on specific a specific incident or want to search by area I recommend using www.cyclestreets.net/collisions/.

Pedestrians hit on crossings - the data

This map shows the vehicles which have hit pedestrians on pedestrian crossings 2005-2015.

Last week one group identified cyclists as a main cause of road danger. A brief look at road casualty statistics shows this is not the case.

For instance, cyclists jumping red lights are often cited as a problem on our roads. However if we focus in on this 'cycling' problem, the road accident data shows motor vehicles are responsible for the vast majority of collisions with pedestrians on crossings. 

Only 2% of the pedestrians hit on crossings are hit by cyclists. That is two percent too many, but if we are serious about pedestrian safety we need to focus on the 98% of collisions which cause the most serious injuries and deaths.

If councillors are serious about avoiding conflict between cyclists and pedestrians they need to stop the widespread use of poorly designed and poorly signposted shared space pavements. Instead they should provide dedicated cycling facilities protected from traffic as far as possible and leave pavements clear for pedestrians. 

Key:

Car - yellow marker (there isn't a car symbol)

Bus, coach or minibus - bus icon

All vans and goods vehicles - truck icon

Motorcycle - motorcycle icon

Pedal cycle - bicycle icon

Taxi/Private hire car - cab icon

For more detail on any of the data points simply click on the icon.

In some locations you will see two icons exactly on top of each other. This is as indicated in the original data and may have been due to locations being rounded or approximated previously. For instance at long. -0.133876, lat. 51.519942 two icons are shown over each other representing separate incidents on 21/02/2008 and 08/07/2009. 

These maps are based on the data STATS19 police collision report data from 2005-2015 inclusive (11 years of data). If you want the full details on specific a specific incident or want to search by area I recommend using www.cyclestreets.net/collisions/.

The danger of 'Agricultural Vehicles' in Central London?

The map below shows where pedestrians and cyclists have been killed or injured in collisions involving 'agricultural vehicles' as recorded on police road collision reports for the years 2005-2015.

The cluster of casualties in central London highlights problems with the current reporting of collisions - vehicles are put in to categories which do not adequately describe their purpose. In this instance it's likely most or all of these 'agricultural vehicles' were in fact diggers and other construction vehicles lumped in to the same category (details here).

This is in addition to the 'other' vehicle category which encompasses many of the most dangerous construction vehicles and a plethora of other vehicles, masking the large number of deaths caused by a these vehicles. We also know from insurers that the construction industry has a poor record when it comes to vans and small lorries.

It's been clear for a long time that the construction industry has a problem when it comes to road safety, unfortunately the data collected hides the extent of the problem. In order to understand the real causes of road danger we need better data to be made available, including detailed vehicle types and maybe also the industry sector.

Pedestrians and cyclists killed or injured in collisions involving agricultural vehicles (2005-2015): fatal - black, serious - yellow, slight - blue. 

Notes:

• If you want the full details of specific a specific incident, or to search by area, try www.cyclestreets.net/collisions/.
• Where possible casualty records have been linked to the vehicle which hit them. For pedestrians, the data records which vehicle (first) hit them. For other road users we inferred a collision where there was just one other vehicle involved. When there were more vehicles it was not possible to infer which vehicles collided with which.
• Care has been taken to avoid errors or emissions while creating these maps, however if you spot an issue please let us know.

Horse Riders killed or injured 2005-2015 | Map

For a larger version of the map, click here.

STATS19 mapping implementation notes

These maps are based on the data from 2005-2015 inclusive (11 years of data), which has been edited down to make the file sizes more manageable. If you want the full details on specific a specific incident or want to search by area I recommend using www.cyclestreets.net/collisions/.

The data for "Journey_Purpose_of_Driver", "Vehicle_Type", "Make" and "Model" refers to the other vehicle involved where that has been possible to match*. For pedestrians, the data records which vehicle (first) hit them. For other road users we inferred a collision where there was just one other vehicle involved. When there were more vehicles it was not possible to infer which vehicles collided with which.

*Bicycles, horses and mobility scooters are all counted as vehicles.

For a few of the entries we have found errors in the data, such as missing location data which may means they have not been mapped. Examples of this are accident references 2005600GN6024 and 200504BB05106.

Care has been taken to avoid errors or emissions while creating these maps, however if you spot an issue please let us know.

Alternative map of KSIs involving Heavy Goods Vehicles

In my previous post I presented a map created using Google Fusion Tables. This post shows an alternative map produced using the same data fed in to Google Maps. Due to limits on the file size, the collisions resulting in minor injuries have been omitted.

Vulnerable road users killed or seriously injured in collisions involving HGVS for the years 2005-2015

For a larger version of the map, click here.

'Vulnerable Road Users' refers to pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, horse riders & mobility scooter riders. Due to the number of dangerous goods vehicles classed as 'Other', that category has been included and the maps will also include some collisions involving different vehicles in the 'Other' category.

STATS19 mapping implementation notes

These maps are based on the data from 2005-2015 inclusive (11 years of data), which has been edited down to make the file sizes more manageable. If you want the full details on specific a specific incident or want to search by area I recommend using www.cyclestreets.net/collisions/.

The data for "Journey_Purpose_of_Driver", "Vehicle_Type", "Make" and "Model" refers to the other vehicle involved where that has been possible to match*. For pedestrians, the data records which vehicle (first) hit them. For other road users we inferred a collision where there was just one other vehicle involved. When there were more vehicles it was not possible to infer which vehicles collided with which.

*Bicycles, horses and mobility scooters are all counted as vehicles.

For a few of the entries we have found errors in the data, such as missing location data which may means they have not been mapped. Examples of this are accident references 2005600GN6024 and 200504BB05106.

Care has been taken to avoid errors or emissions while creating these maps, however if you spot an issue please let us know.

Mapping KSIs involving Lorries

Lorries and other large vehicles are a serious danger to vulnerable road users.

Using the STATS19 data I've produced maps showing collisions involving these vehicles where pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, horse riders or mobility scooter riders were killed or injured. Due to the number of dangerous goods vehicles classed as 'Other' (details here) the maps will also include some collisions involving different vehicles in the 'Other' category.

Deaths & Injuries involving HGVs, 2005-2015

Key: 
Fatality = Symbol
Serious Injuries = Yellow dot
Minor Injuries = Blue dot

This is a map I produced showing where vulnerable road users have been killed or injured 2005-2015. Click here for full size version, produced using Google Fusion tables.

Other mapping:

In addition to this, I have tried presenting the data using Google 'Maps' rather than 'Fusion Tables'. This has several advantages however it limits each layer to 2000 data points, which poses challenges when dealing with data for the whole of the UK (except Norther Ireland). Due to this limitation it is necessary to filter the data down, reducing the years, casualty types or casualty severities shown.

Click here for a map showing where pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists have been killed or injured in collisions involving Heavy Goods Vehicles for the years 2012-2015. This is a subset of the data shown in the map above.

STATS19 mapping implementation notes

These maps are based on the data from 2005-2015 inclusive (11 years of data), which has been edited down to make the file sizes more manageable. If you want the full details on specific a specific incident or want to search by area I recommend using www.cyclestreets.net/collisions/.

The data for "Journey_Purpose_of_Driver", "Vehicle_Type", "Make" and "Model" refers to the other vehicle involved where that has been possible to match*. For pedestrians, the data records which vehicle (first) hit them. For other road users we inferred a collision where there was just one other vehicle involved. When there were more vehicles it was not possible to infer which vehicles collided with which.

*Bicycles, horses and mobility scooters are all counted as vehicles. 

For a few of the entries we have found errors in the data, such as missing location data which may means they have not been mapped. Examples of this are accident references 2005600GN6024 and 200504BB05106.

Care has been taken to avoid errors or emissions while creating these maps, however if you spot an issue please let us know.

Croud-sourcing information for collision maps

The police STATS19 reports contain few details about victims and the circumstances of collisions. Linking these to press reports, blog posts & local campaigns can give more information on the people involved, the incident, the investigations and any court cases.

Finding, linking and mapping press reports about all road fatalities in the UK would be a huge task to undertake. Therefore I wanted to look at ways of allowing members of the public to submit reports online in a way which could be easily mapped and linked to other data.

I've created the form below as a prototype - please try it out and let me know what you think.

Mapping Road Danger - Submit Report/Article

The main challenge was getting the location data. Ideally the user would be able to click on a map and have the location recorded. I wasn't able to do that, so the user has to copy the latitude and longitude in to the form - OK on desktop, but really not phone/tablet friendly.

Output

The form populates this table (email addresses removed):

This probably needs a disclaimer 'This data includes links and information submitted by the community, please contact us if you believe any of the information is inaccurate or inappropriate'.

Using the data

• This data could be mapped to provide real time logging of incidents.
• Once the STATS19 collision reports are published it would be possible to link the data sets. These could be matched with a good degree of accuracy using the date and a search radius, however this might still need a final check by a human. 
• Similarly, this could be used to link historic reports to the STATS19 data to improve our understanding of the accident history of locations.
• This form (or similar) could be used by people currently recording collision reports to put the data in a consistent format which would allow it to more easily mapped in future.

Mapping of collision reports is already being undertaken by a few people (here for instance) and if efforts were to be put in to this it would be good to coordinate to avoid duplicating efforts and ensure data could be transferred across if needed.

Second Hand Bikes East London

Here's a list of places to get serviced and checked (not stolen) second hand bikes in East London.

It's a departure from my usual subject matter because I'm helping out a friend :-)

I've put stars by the ones people have recommended to me based on experience.

• Hackney Peddler near Hackney Downs
• heavenscycles.com/road-bikes/, Broadway Market - this is the sister shop of Lock 7 Cycles*
• peddlemywheels.com/wanted - they regularly run buy and sell stalls at markets across East London

Not in East London but possibly worth a look:

• Camden Cycles*: http://www.camdencycles.co.uk/our-bikes/secondhand-bikes/touring-bikes/cat_79.html
• re-cycling.co.uk/ in Elephant and Castle

STATS19 collision data - Overview

The database of police collision reports comes from a standard form called STATS19. This collects a range of data on the collision, vehicles involved, casualties and injuries. A selection of this information is published annually as a database (details such as registration numbers are recorded but not published).

The data is published as three separate lists of information (in .csv format):

• 'Accidents' (collisions) lists out the individual collisions with a reference number and data relating to the incident.
• Vehicles lists out the vehicles involved, the accident reference, vehicle reference, plus data relating to the vehicle.
• Casualties lists out the casualties, the accident reference and data relating to the casualty.

Each collision will have one or more vehicles and may have several casualties.

The STATS20 form gives details of what information is meant to be recorded and how the various categories work (for instance: what constitutes a minor injury, or how the vehicle codes should be used).

In this post I've summarised what is contained in the publicly available data, with a focus on information relevant to pedestrian and cyclist safety.

Collisions

The list of collisions includes the reference number 'Accident Index', the location (easting & northing) and date & time in addition to:

• The Police Force and Local Authority
• Number of vehicles involved
• Number of casualties 
• Speed limit
• Roundabout / One way street / Dual carriageway / Single carriageway / Slip Road / Unknown 
• If the collision was near a junction/pedestrian crossing and if so the type of junction/crossing.
• Lighting, weather and road conditions/hazards
• Urban/Rural area

Vehicles

For each vehicle we are given the Accident Index and vehicle reference (001, 002, etc). If there is only one vehicle linked to a collision that would be 001. Details of the vehicle are:

• The vehicle type (more info) and whether it was towing, left hand drive.
• Vehicle manoeuvre, for instance: reversing, turning left, changing lane to right, overtaking on nearside etc.
• Vehicle location: Main carriageway, Bus lane, marked Cycle Lane (advisory or mandatory), separate Cycle Way, Footway. Note that there is no code for shared space area so this information is not recorded.
• Information on whether the vehicle is entering a junction, at a junction, leaving a junction, entering a roundabout etc. 
• Whether the vehicle skidded/overturned, whether it left the carriageway and whether it hit an object.
• Point of impact: 0. Did not impact, 1. Front, 2. Back, 3. Offside, or 4. Nearside 
• Age and sex of driver.
• Journey purpose of driver: 1. Journey as part of work 2. Commuting to/from work 3. Taking pupil to/from school 4. Pupil riding to/from school 5+. Other/Not known 

Casualties

Similarly to vehicles, the records start with the Accident Index and then a casualty reference. The first casualty associated with the collision is 001, then 002, 003, etc. Details of the casualty are given as follows:

• The 'casualty type' classification (more info)
• Casualty class: 1. Driver or rider 2. Vehicle or pillion passenger 3. Pedestrian. Another field records whether they were a Bus/Coach passenger.
• The severity of the injury. Injuries are recorded as serious/slight by the police usually within a short time of the accident and are often not based on the results of medical examinations.
• 1, Fatal
• 2, Serious: Serious injuries are generally those that would send the casualty to A&E or where they're likely to require further medical treatment. This includes: Broken neck or back, Severe head injury, Loss of arm or leg (or part), Fracture, Concussion, Deep cuts and Injuries to casualties who die 30 or more days after the accident from injuries sustained in that accident. 
• 3, Slight: Slight injuries are generally those which require first aid or require no medical attention and include Whiplash, Shallow cuts, Sprains and Bruising.
• Vehicle reference number - this is the number of the vehicle they occupied, or for pedestrians the number of the vehicle which first hit them. 
• Age and sex of casualty.
• Pedestrian location: footway/verge, refuge/central reservation or carriageway.

Mapping

The data can be filtered using any of these categories and then mapped. One or two of the categories can be used to determine the map marker shape and colour. Other data can be displayed when the user clicks on a data-point.

For instance the data could be filtered to show only cyclists and pedestrians injured in collisions involving cars, with round markers for pedestrians and square markers for cyclists with the following colours: (fatal, serious, minor) = (red, yellow, orange).

Please let me know in the comments below if you have any suggestions for maps which might provide insights or illustrate particular problems.

STATS19 collision data - Vehicle and casualty categories

When the police record road traffic incidents they use various classifications to record details vehicles, casualties and injuries. This information is entered in to the STATS19 database which is published annually.

The STATS19 data can be found here. The details of how vehicles, casualties, injuries etc. should be classified is published on the STATS20 form.

Vehicle Classification

The vehicle classifications are shown below. The number on the left is the code stored in the police database for each category (for the detailed notes about classification refer to the STATS20 link above).

It should be noted that many vehicle types do not fit the classification well - construction industry diggers would be classified as agricultural vehicles and 'other' category contains refuse vehicles and a variety of construction lorries and equipment. As a result, the goods vehicles data significantly under-represents the lorries most often causing fatalities by as much as 10-15% for both refuse lorries and construction lorries (based on TfL data for London 2010-2014). Taken together this could mean around a fifth of lorry fatalities are recorded in the 'other' category.

• 01  Pedal cycle - includes tricycles etc.
• Motorcycles - 'motorcycle' includes mopeds, motor scooters and three wheeled motorcycles.
• 02  Motorcycle 50cc and under
• 03  Motorcycle over 50cc and up to 125cc
• 04  Motorcycle over 125cc and up to 500cc
• 05  Motorcycle over 500cc
• 97  Motorcycle – unknown cc
• 23  Electric motorcycle - includes all electrically powered motorcycles over 0.25 kW, whether or not they are also equipped with pedals.
• 08  Taxi/Private hire car - any vehicle operating as a hackney carriage, regardless of construction.
• 09  Car - includes three wheeled cars, estate cars, family vans/multi-people carriers, Land Rovers and similar four-wheel drive vehicles.
• 10  Minibus (8 - 16 passenger seats)
• 11  Bus or coach - defined as 17 or more passenger seats.
• 16  Ridden horse
• 17  Agricultural vehicle - includes construction vehicles such as mobile excavators and front dumpers, but not heavy plant.
• 18  Tram/Light rail
• Goods vehicles include tankers, HGV tractors travelling without their semi-trailers and articulated vehicles.
• 19  Van/Goods vehicle 3.5 tonnes maximum gross weight (mgw) and under
• 20  Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes and under 7.5 tonnes mgw - Sometimes referred to as Medium Goods Vehicles or Large Goods Vehicles. These vehicles are included in the CLOCS safety scheme.
• 21  Goods vehicle 7.5 tonnes mgw and over - Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs), although sometimes this term is used to mean all vehicles over 3.5 tonnes.  These vehicles are included in the CLOCS safety scheme.
• 98  Goods vehicle – unknown weight
• 22 Mobility scooter
• 90 Other vehicle -  Predominately the vehicles causing serious injuries and fatalities in this category are large vans, refuse vehicles, tipper lorries, cement lorries and skip lorries. However the category also includes ambulances, fire engines, motor caravans, and quad bikes, plus anything else which doesn't fit the other classifications.

In addition to the information released publicly, the police database includes information such as the registration number. This can be used by the DfT/TfL to determine the exact make & model of the vehicles in order to analyse the data in more detail (especially the 'other' categories).

'Casualty Type' Classification

The casualty classifications are shown below. The number on the left is the code stored in the police database for each category:

0 Pedestrian

1 Cyclist

2 Motorcycle 50cc and under rider or passenger

3 Motorcycle 125cc and under rider or passenger

4 Motorcycle over 125cc and up to 500cc rider or passenger

5 Motorcycle over 500cc rider or passenger

8 Taxi/Private hire car occupant

9 Car occupant

10 Minibus (8 - 16 passenger seats) occupant

11 Bus or coach occupant (17 or more pass seats)

16 Horse rider

17 Agricultural vehicle occupant

18 Tram occupant

19 Van / Goods vehicle (3.5 tonnes mgw or under) occupant

20 Goods vehicle (over 3.5t. and under 7.5t.) occupant

21 Goods vehicle (7.5 tonnes mgw and over) occupant

22 Mobility scooter rider

23 Electric motorcycle rider or passenger

90 Other vehicle occupant

97 Motorcycle - unknown cc rider or passenger

98 Goods vehicle (unknown weight) occupant

See Me Save Me - Eliminating Lorry Danger

See Me Save Me is a campaign to eliminate deaths and injuries caused by collisions involving HGVs, with a focus on the most vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists).

See Me Save Me work to prevent the blaming of victims (for not wearing hats, jumping lights, not having insurance etc etc) and focus on the danger of the vehicles.

• They have been involved in the development of safer lorry standards with industry and regulators, in particular CLOCS. 
• They are also members of the ‘Action on Lorry Danger’ working group which includes CyclingUK, LCC and Living Streets. 

See Me Save Me was started in 2009 by Kate Cairns following the death of her sister Eilidh.

CLOCS

The Construction Logistics and Cyclist Safety report was released in February 2013 and is the basis for the CLOCS programme. The CLOCS standards include a range of measures to reduce risk:

• Requirements for safer vehicles to maximise vision
• Driver checks and training
• Fleet management and route planning
• Proper investigation and reporting of collisions

In London, adoption of CLOCS is now a requirement in many public sector contracts for clients including Crossrail, TfL and the Greater London Assembly. However widespread adoption by the public and private sector across the UK is needed to prevent the pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists being killed or injured by collisions with HGV.

See Me Save Me's campaign

See Me Save Me are raising awareness of lorry danger and campaigning for the adoption of preventative measures and standards such as CLOCS across the UK:

• Build relationships with industry and public bodies across the UK, especially in major cities such as Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Cambridge, Newcastle, Leeds, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast.
• Collaborate with pedestrian, cyclist and residents groups to campaign for a reduction in lorry danger.
• Keep a record of those killed or seriously injured by HGVs to show the scale of the problem.

Lorry danger has consistently been identified by our supporters as a major concern and one of the top priorities for campaigning. In 2016 we will be working with See Me Save Me to help launch their campaign to have CLOCS standards adopted widely and for safer lorries across the UK.

Please join their campaign by signing up for email updates here: http://www.seemesaveme.org/

Mapping for road safety

For road safety campaigners much of the information we have could be mapped, whether that's speed limits, consultations/schemes or collisions. With such a lot of information, no one maps will show everything. Maps for communicating with the public tend to be the simple, while those to aid decision making often have multiple layers of information.

I've been reviewing various sites to identify what information is already being mapped to identify how it might be used for campaigning (or whether there are maps we're missing).

Police Collision Reports

There are several websites which map the UK wide STATS19 database of police 'accident' reports in different ways. The data is published annually for the proceeding year at in late June (details here):

• crashmap.co.uk A mapping tool based on supported by the ability to buy detailed reports. Can filter by severity, casualty type and year and includes information explaining the definitions used.
• map.itoworld.com/see-me-save-me [HGV, cyclist & pedestrian, KSIs] displays the STATS19 data from 2000-2010 with the casualty's age, gender and the year of the accident shown graphically. Discontinued
• collisionmap.uk a basic map which displays limited information and can only filter by casualty severity.
• cyclestreets (see below) maps all road users and has the full information.

Going beyond Police reports

The following websites map other data related to road safety:

• collideoscope.org.uk/ [cycling, incidents, UK] Collisions and near misses, plus the ability for users to add their own experiences. Also includes STATS19 record information. MySociety/Barts Charitys Safe Cycling Appeal initiative.
• Fill That Hole [Cycling UK / CTC, road defects, UK] A map showing reported road defects with indicators for whether the issue has been fixed or not.
• cycling-intelligence.com [cycling, KSIs, London]  Cyclist fatalities in London updated regularly and includes some information and links. The map goes back to 2006, although they say the data is not complete for the early years.
• beyondthekerb.org.uk/casebook [cyclists, KSIs, UK, 2015-2016] Details, map and links to press reports.
• cycleinjury.co.uk/map STATS19 map combined with information from Levenes personal injury lawyers.
• Cyclestreets [cycling, UK]  In addition to mapping the STATS19 information with detailed search/filtering it has a mapping tool for campaigns, consultations and issues used by cycling groups around the UK. Allows for issues to be identified and discussed. Issues in London can be seen on the LCC website.
• Give a beep [cycling, London] is a scheme where cyclists are given a button on the handlebars which registers the time and location every time it is pressed. The intention is that users press it every time they feel less safe and this builds up a map of the problem locations around the city for use as a campaigning tool.
• Camden Cyclists have produced a similar list of maps including their own analysis of collisions in Camden, plus maps for traffic flows, cycling and mapping specific to London.
• alexinthecities.co.uk - Alex has produced several really useful maps including a map of DfT traffic counts, a list of sites mapping census data and a lot of more London specific maps. He also has information about producing maps using Google Fusion tables. 
• Please let me know if there are any I have missed

Lists of information

There are also several websites listing incidents and details:

• twowheelsandbeyond.blogspot.co.uk [cycling, KSIs, UK]  Cyclist obituaries listed from around 2000-2012.
• visionzerolondon.wordpress.com [cyclists and pedestrians, KSIs, London] Names where known, links and some photos 2014+
• lcc.org.uk/pages/news is the blog for London Cycling Campaign. Articles about specific locations are tagged and can be viewed on a map. An RSS feed of the data is available.
• The campaign group See Me Save Me are collecting reports of collisions and fatalities involving HGVs and are planning to publish this in the future.
• Again, please let me know if there are any I should add.

Conclusions

There is a lot of good mapping being done on the STATS19 data, but the story behind the data (news reports, people's experiences, etc.) are not generally being mapped. There are several initiatives mapping cycling in London but this is quite fragmented.

Creating maps with more detailed information and analysis could be useful to make the case for action to be taken at a particular junction, or to brief journalists following incidents, so would be a useful tool.

For cycling, Cyclestreets seems to be the main focus, however the aim would be to have a UK wide system which covered all incidents with different organisations able to filter for the content relevant to their campaigning.

Thank You

Dear Friends,

Thank you

It has now been nine months without a cyclist being killed by a HGV - a stark contrast to the first half of 2015 which saw seven cyclists killed by lorries. This pause would not have happened without the increased focus on safety in response demands for safety improvements, and every supporter of this campaign played their part in making that happen.

We have shown that progress is possible and fatalities are not inevitable, but there is much more which needs to be done [1] - Stop Killing Cyclists have called on the Cycling Minister Robert Goodwill to urgently extend the London requirements for HGV mirrors nationally to protect cyclists all over the UK [2].

In London we now have several mayoral candidates and parties committed to expanding protected space for cycling, showing that many of our politicians believe in the need for safe cycling for all Londoners.

I won't be emailing again before the election, but a reminder that Stop Killing Cyclists' protest is this evening (Wednesday) in central London, the die-in is from 6pm (speeches from 5:30pm) - please attend if you can.

Thank you again for your support,


Fred


P.s. Thanks to everyone who contributed to our #SaveOurCyclists Twitter campaign, if you haven't there's still time to get involved - simply share your own messages using #SaveOurCyclists.

---

[1] http://saveourcyclists.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/nine-months.html
[2] https://www.facebook.com/groups/stopkillingcyclists/permalink/1710065762577662/

You helped keep cyclists safe this winter

Dear Friends,

Thank you

It has now been nine months without a cyclist being killed by a HGV - a stark contrast to the first half of 2015 which saw seven cyclists killed by lorries. This pause would not have happened without the increased focus on safety in response demands for safety improvements, and every supporter of this campaign played their part in making that happen.

We have shown that progress is possible and fatalities are not inevitable, but there is much more which needs to be done [1] - Stop Killing Cyclists have called on the Cycling Minister Robert Goodwill to urgently extend the London requirements for HGV mirrors nationally to protect cyclists all over the UK [2].

In London we now have four candidates supporting protected space for cycling: @CarolinePidgeon @SianBerry @SophieRunning and @SadiqKhan have committed to safe cycling and protected lanes in London. @ZacGoldsmith hasn't

Whoever the mayor is, the London Assembly is crucial to ensure cycling and road safety never slip down the agenda. Every vote counts for the London-wide Assembly Members (the orange voting form) - Please consider using your London-wide Assembly Member vote to support a party which champions cycling.

Finally, Stop Killing Cyclists' protest is on Wednesday in central London, the die-in is from 6pm (speeches from 5:30pm) - please attend if you can.

Thank you again for your support,


Fred

P.s. Thanks to everyone who has already contributed to our #SaveOurCyclists Twitter campaign, if you haven't there's still time to get involved! Simply share your own messages using #SaveOurCyclists.

---

[1] http://saveourcyclists.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/nine-months.html - this post contains (distressing) details of non-fatal collisions.
[2] https://www.facebook.com/groups/stopkillingcyclists/permalink/1710065762577662/

Nine months.

It has been nine months since a cyclist was killed by a motor vehicle in London, a halt which would not have seemed credible at this time last year.

This pause follows a string of needless deaths which inspired the campaign for lorry safety which we have all been part of. Inexplicably, it was legal to drive HGVs around London blindly until the rules were updated to require more extensive mirrors. Haulage companies have also made this a focus, with industry groups concerned that their vehicles might be banned from the centre.

But we have been lucky

In this time many cyclists have received serious injuries on our roads. https://cycling-intelligence.com/fatal-cycling-accidents-in-london/ gives details of some of the non-fatal collisions: 

first hit by one vehicle and then dragged under the wheels of a second

victim had leg amputated; left turning driver arrested

Witnesses reported hearing a "gut-wrenching scream" in the collision near the notorious Old Street roundabout

These were incidents which could easily have resulted in another death. It is only luck and the work of NHS trauma teams which prevented fatalities here.

More is needed to keep cyclists safe in London

It is important to recognise the progress which has been made to improve safety for people on bikes - progress which is in part thanks to the supporters of this campaign, the London Cycling Campaign and Stop Killing Cyclists.

However, this isn't the end of HGV deaths in London. 

Last year 7 people were killed by lorries - a toll which is totally unacceptable and in no way diminished because the overall toll is less than last year. There are no 'acceptable' deaths from our transport system so we need London to adopt the same approach as New York:

This status quo is unacceptable. The City of New York must no longer regard traffic crashes as mere "accidents," but rather as preventable incidents that can be systematically addressed. No level of fatality on city streets is inevitable or acceptable.

The future

We cannot allow complacency to creep back in to City Hall, or for HGV operators to relax their focus. A confidential reporting system such as CIRAS is needed to allow drivers and employees to report safety concerns without fearing for their jobs.

The NHS has done an excellent job of keeping cyclists alive, too little has been done to prevent collisions on our roads. If we go back to old ways we will see the numbers of road deaths go back up.

Now is the time to press home the need for a network of protected cycle lanes across all of London and a Vision Zero approach to safety on our streets.

Make a difference to the London Assembly

While the mayoral election gets the attention, the role of the London Assembly is crucial in shaping how our city is run and it's also where your vote is most likely to get a result.

What can the London Assembly do?

London Assembly members pressured Boris to deliver on Cycle Superhighways, pushed for HGV safety improvements and held the authorities to account when things went wrong (such as mis-targetting of safe cycling by Operation Safeway). They have the power to amend the Mayor's budget if they vote with a two thirds majority.

They also question the mayor & key officials in detail - finding out what TfL is up to, teasing out the substance behind the announcements or getting the latest statistics. You may never have read about the Mayor's Question Time, but many/most of the articles about infrastructure or HGV safety will have been informed by answers to these questions.

In particular, this campaign has benefited from the work of Green Party and Liberal Democrat assembly members, especially Darren Johnson.

How to make your vote count for the London Assembly

If you want your vote to make a difference for London, in the London Assembly you have the chance to do that, even if you don't support one of the two most popular parties. This is because a portion of the members are chosen using proportional representation - the orange ballot paper.

The London-wide Assembly Members are elected from votes for different parties on the orange ballot papers. Details of the calculation can be found here, but for the smaller parties essentially it boils down to:

• 5% - One Assembly Member
• ~8% - Two Assembly Members
• 11-12% - Three Assembly Members

The exact percentages vary slightly depending on how the other parties perform and parties getting less than 5% are not counted. For the larger parties the number of members are around 1 member per 4% of the vote.

You cast your vote by putting an 'X' by one of the parties, but as long as they win at least 5% of the vote your vote will help elect a representative to the London Assembly.

Your vote can make a difference

I hope you've found this helpful and if you've got a vote, please use it!

Here's your guide to voting on 5 May - in under 30 seconds #LondonVotes pic.twitter.com/KSlJoUVqCw

— London Elects (@londonelects) April 20, 2016

Women's Equality and Cycling

Sophie Walker is the mayoral candidate for the Women's Equality Party. She is a diversity campaigner, cycling proponent and the third candidate to commit to the London Cycling Campaign's ambitious Sign for Cycling pledges (triple the number of protected cycle lanes in London, a mini-Holland scheme in every borough & an end to lorry danger).

Her vision is to make London the first city in the world where men and women are equal, including for transport. She believes safe cycling infrastructure is the key to allowing more women to enjoy the benefits of cycling:

We want to make transport accessible & safe for everyone. More segregated cycle lanes & bike facilities #AskSophie https://t.co/7pj6POGURO

— SophieWalker (@SophieRunning) April 5, 2016

Cycling in the UK is not equally accessible to all genders and the proportion of women who cycle is half that of men. Sophie Walker is committed to working towards a 50:50 modal share of female cycling in London.

We do not currently have details about whether they would support a rush hour HGV ban, the cycling budget and their plans for the congestion charge, but if we get more information we will publish that here.

Tweets and Replies

Top #SaveOurCyclists tweets and replies:

Want my vote? Segregated cycle lanes are a must. @ZacGoldsmith @SadiqKhan @CarolinePidgeon @sianberry #SaveOurCyclists

— NicJones (@Nicola_Jane1985) April 7, 2016

@SadiqKhan Please support protected cycle lanes.me and my cycle buddies will vote for u if u do. #SaveOurCyclists

— pcjwss (@pcjwss) April 7, 2016

#SaveOurCyclists @Sadiqkhan, @sianberry, @CarolinePidgeon, @ZacGoldsmith, commit to segregated cycleways! Our safety is vital.

— Joanna Cronin (@ironjawcannon) April 7, 2016

Hi @FredBikeLondon - don't forget @SophieRunning, Women's Equality Party mayoral candidate, who is a cycling proponent! #saveourcyclists

— Katy Cooper (@DecSop1) April 7, 2016

Love the new cycle lanes along blackfriars, makes such a difference! Feel safer on a bike than a moped! #SaveOurCyclists

— Laura Mcaulay (@lauramcaulay) April 7, 2016

.@SadiqKhan @ZacGoldsmith @CarolinePidgeon @sianberry make London work 4 the non-motorist majority! #SaveOurCyclists https://t.co/mvSuw0mT3A

— Daniel Demmel (@daaain) April 7, 2016

@ZacGoldsmith Disappointed in the lack of Tory support for safer cycle facilities and extending Cycle Superhighways #SaveOurCyclists

— Giuseppe Squidamari (@gsquidamari) April 7, 2016

Disappointed to not see a stronger message from @SadiqKhan on cycling. Much better from @sianberry and @CarolinePidgeon. #SaveOurCyclists

— Darren Palmer (@dazlington) April 8, 2016

Tweets to Sadiq

More than any other candidate, our supporters wanted to send personal messages to Sadiq:

@SadiqKhan I'm really hoping you support protected cycle lanes & commit to extending the programme of Cycle Superhighways #SaveOurCyclists

— richard bultitude (@pointbmusic) April 7, 2016

Investing in protected infrastructure to promote cycling is about the environment & our physical/mental health. @SadiqKhan #SaveOurCyclists

— NicJones (@Nicola_Jane1985) April 8, 2016

@SadiqKhan Until no. women = men cycling, we need more safer cycling infrastructure, can u commit to this? #LondonMayor2016 #SaveOurCyclists

— Liane Fredericks (@lianefredericks) April 8, 2016

I always voted @labour but will not vote for @SadiqKhan if he doesn't support protected cycle lanes #SaveOurCyclists

— Marceli Szpak (@pojutrze) April 7, 2016

The last word

#SaveOurCyclists I do not live in the capital but my son does and he being environmentally aware, cycles daily. Choose your mayor with care.

— Danbury Dame (@SuePriestley) April 8, 2016

Who will keep London's cyclists safe?

Dear Friends,

Our next mayor could make or break cycling in London.

We need the next mayor to support the construction of high quality cycling infrastructure, not just completing all the planned Cycle Superhighways but building protected cycle lanes in all parts of London.

Many people have taken up cycling after hard won improvements bought in under Boris - even though half his schemes have not yet been completed. Protected cycle lanes are key to allowing more people to cycle in safety and it is clear there is huge demand these lanes.

"I’ll rip up London’s cycle superhighways if they don’t work"

The candidates are split, with some talking against protected cycle lanes or suggesting they might withdraw support for the Cycle Superhighways [1].

#SaveOurCyclists

We need to highlight the demand for protected lanes and put pressure on the candidates to support them. Please join our new Twitter campaign:

1. Write tweets to candidates using the hashtag #SaveOurCyclists - Ask them to commit to protected cycle lanes, support a scheme you care about or highlight a good policy: @ZacGoldsmith, @SadiqKhan, @CarolinePidgeon, @sianberry

2. See what others are posting here for inspiration & re-tweeting!

3. Use or adapt our ready made tweets:

• @ZacGoldsmith Please support protected cycle lanes and commit to completing & extending the Cycle Superhighways programme #SaveOurCyclists
• @SadiqKhan Please support protected cycle lanes and commit to completing and extending the programme of Cycle Superhighways #SaveOurCyclists
• @CarolinePidgeon supports protected cycling "I want to carry on the cycle superhighways – even the controversial bits”  #SaveOurCyclists
• @sianberry on protected lanes: “I’d put new segregated cycling infrastructure top of the list for new investment plans” #SaveOurCyclists

4. On the 27th April Stop Killing Cyclists are organising an air #PollutionProtest outside the Department for Transport in Westminster. They are demanding action to tackle motor vehicle emissions and increased funding for cycling across the UK - please join us if you can [2].

Thanks again for your support and please share this with any friends you think would be interested.

Kind regards,


Fred

@FredBikeLondon

P.s. If you are not on Twitter please email the candidates and copy us in!

---
[1] http://saveourcyclists.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/who-will-give-us-safe-cycling.html
[2] https://www.facebook.com/events/1124784950872843/

Who will give us safe cycling?

Our next mayor could make or break cycling in London. There has been a mini boom in cycling after hard won improvements bought in under Boris, even though only half of the original Cycle Superhighways and a dozen 'safer junctions' are built.

Despite this, the impact of the schemes has been huge, with a big increase in cycling along the routes and no doubt those under construction will tell a similar story. It is clear there is a huge demand for protected cycling and we need the next mayor to enthusiastically back these projects, clear the backlog and expand protected cycling across London.

When we surveyed our supporters last year we found the important issues you wanted us to campaign on were:

• Demand a programme to build protected cycle facilities at junctions and along main roads in every borough.  
• Ban HGVs from the rush hour and make them deliver early in the morning or during the day.

While some of the mayoral candidates fully support these aims, some of the main contenders offer very limited support for the Cycle Superhighways programme and are reluctant to support protected space for cycling. All of the candidates support safer lorries but not all will commit to banning them from the rush hour.

Here is where the candidates stand:

	@ZacGoldsmith	@SadiqKhan	@CarolinePidgeon	@sianberry
Protected cycle facilities at junctions and along main roads	‘I’ll rip up London’s cycle superhighways if they don’t work’	Narrower cycle tracks and promises to 'make sure cars flow smoother', although his manifesto promises to build on the work of Ken and Boris...	"I want to carry on the cycle superhighways – even the controversial bits – but I also want to look at outer London, because I think that there’s a real opportunity there to get more people out of their cars and on to bikes for those shorter trips."	"I’d put new segregated cycling infrastructure top of the list for new investment plans. For me it’s the number one measure that would get a wider range of people cycling... we’re well overdue this kind of road space revolution in London!"
HGV Ban	No - Update and adjust the current London Lorry Control Scheme	No - Work... to reduce the number of large lorries... particularly at the busiest times.	A rush hour ban to reduce congestion and keep cyclists safe.	Sian would introduce a rush hour HGV ban.
TfL's cycling budget	No details.	Would increase, but no commitment.	Would nearly double spending on cycling to 3% of Transport for London’s budget.	Supports a substantial increase paid for by city-wide congestion charging.
Congestion charging	No details in his manifesto.	No change to the congestion charge.	Increase the congestion charge to reduce the number of motor vehicles in the central London zone.	Bring in a road-charging system to extend the congestion charge city-wide.
Notes	Manifesto: “Pedicabs in the West End have become an urban menace, ripping off tourists and tripping up pedestrians”. Zac would expand cycle hire schemes.	Sadiq would investigate the merits of car free weekends in central London.	Caroline has signed up to the London Cycling Campaign's ambitous 'Sign for Cycling' pledges	Sian has signed up to the London Cycling Campaign's ambitous 'Sign for Cycling' pledges

See also: Sophie Walker - Women's Equality Party