I am pleased, frightened and appalled by this article in today’s FT
As most readers know, I am in neurological recovery more than a year after having similar injuries to Gabby, the lady reporting herself. My message to Gabby is that you should not feel guilt, if you want to talk, I live a few hundred years from where you were hit on Cheapside by the M&S.
Yes there is a lesson for all cyclists here but the real lesson is that we have to make the City of London and other places as safe for everyone (including pedestrians).
Pleased
I don’t know Gabby Stonkute or journo Leyla Boulton but I will give away shares to the article if this “share” runs out. (henry@agewage.com). There’s a video of Gabby’s accident, there’s no video of mine (only witness accounts). You can read my story here.
I am pleased because Gabby is a brave woman and is doing what she can to alert those in the City (who read the FT) that the dangers are real. I hope she makes a full recovery, I am pleased that she is back on her feet.
Frightened
The statistics are scary. My accident was straight down Queen St and on the Southwark Bridge Road. Cyclists are now involved in 50% of road injuries in the City of London.
The number of us using cycles to get from place to place in Central London and the City in particular has rocketed and it is frightening that we have not got recognition of what looks like the City being more cycle than motor. I have written recently that cyclists should be required to wear a helmet in the City of London, it is out of fear that what happened to me and Gabby could happen again. Helmets will not stop you getting injuries but they’ll put us all in a more aware frame of mind
Appalled
It is appalling that anyone should think that Gabby could be trolled, but no doubt she will be (I was) and like Gabby, I am not happy but appalled at the recklessness I’ve shown over the many years I’ve spent on the City roads (I used to cycle to Bevis Marks from Eton in Berks).
I am appalled that trolling exists and that people do feel vulnerable when they are in recovery from neurological and other injuries.
We need to take cycling more seriously both in the City of London and around and about. I am appalled that the situation is where it is with pedestrians shouting at cyclists, cyclists being reckless and motorists finding themselves the guiltless perpetrators of terrible injury.
All the anger and the guilt and the injury result from the huge changes that are happening because of the way we want to live our lives. On the upside, we are cutting down on emissions, on the downside the new powered cyclists can do the damage that they give cyclists moving faster than anything around the City and London Boroughs.
It is appalling that we are cycling at this pace and seeing cycling increasing at this pace. The story Gabby tells is a brave story but I bet most cyclists can remember times when they’ve put themselves in danger. It is appalling we are doing nothing about cyclist behaviour.
A way forward
Can I ask that we look at the situation from the City of London. I have reported the cycle lanes which now channel danger into a few feet not capable of holding all the cyclists, especially the fast ones.
We have many short journey cyclists taking to the road without helmets.
We have some cycling spots (north of Blackfriars Bridge, Queen St and Southwark Bridge Road and both ends of Cheapside) which are lethal to all (because of cycling).
The way forward is started here by Leyla and Gabby – I hope boosted by others. We are changing our behaviours faster than we can manage the danger this new biking brings.
Footnote on NHS; I am being treated for neurological damage in the Royal London Hospital where Gabby went, I ended up in St Thomas AE and then Kings neurology because I was hit on the south side of the bridge! I have nothing but good for Kings or Royal London but I wish I’d not spent so much time with their neurosurgical people! Dr Raj and I will catch up soon!
Hello Henry,
Ignoring the problem etc
I sympathise with both the young lady and yourself for the health problems you have both suffered as a result of bicycle collisions. I don’t disagree with your thoughts regarding who else often suffers in collisions i.e. vehicle drivers and/or pedestrians.
You have mentioned locations within the City of London and a small town in Buckinghamshire. ROSPA and the Department of Transport (DTp) latest traffic accident figures show 1,671 fatalities for 2024-25. Their breakdown is car occupants 43%, pedestrians 26%, motorcyclists 21%, pedal cyclists 5% – a 6% decline compared to 2023. In general, most fatalities occurred on rural roads. Vulnerable road users continue to face high risks relative to their traffic share. ROSPA welcome the reduction in accidents. Also given are figures for Serious Injuries: 28,804 people were seriously injured in the UK during 2024. Given the size of this nation, both sets of totals look hopeful unless, like yourself, your accident is included.
Having worked (in a small way) with statisics during my one employement, you need to know how details are gathered and by whom, in order to assess the reliability. Are the above collected by the Police or by the hospitals. To a hospital A&E a bicycle accident is just that wherever it occurred while, to the Police, it might be a different situation e.g. two bicycles collide in a Park. (not a roadway, so little interest). The RNIB have long been concerned at what the blind/impaired vision are being faced with in their daily excursions. You mentioned M&S. My local M&S food section during the average daytime often has as much four-wheeled traffic in the aisles as the high street does outside. Similarly the high street pavements have large invalide carriages travelling at speeds above what was/is the regulation speed (4 mph). What are the risks?
Whether cyclists etc should wear helmets by law is not unreasonable but English people won’t like that. Many of the above fatalities are due to people still not wearing seatbelts. At one time Police used to patrol urban Beats in order to deter Beat Crime; that would include both yours and the young lady’s accidents. I doubt that this happens much since the murder & serious injuries occurred at the Houses of Parliament. The Lady Commissioner then informed that ‘ordinary crime would take a back-seat in their trying to arrest the perpitrators’. As far as I remember, it was only the ‘Sun’ that challenged that statement. Remember that when the Police Force was initiated, their main purpose was to prevent crime. How much of that goes on in London nowadays?
Returning to the reliability of the above statisitics, I doubt it would be easy to get such amendments past Traffic for London etc (or even ROSPA) who are motivated by accident statistics. It would probably need a Private Member’s Bill when, currently, the Parliamentary Bill situation has a long back-log. RNIB has been seeking amendments for quite some time but to no avail. I believe that any such amendment should include regulations for all forms of autopowered vehicles that are now on the pavement/roads etc.
Happy New Year.
Tim Simpson
Thanks Tim,
I think the response to the problems with changes in traffic need to be dynamic. We don’t have a static traffic flow around the City or London (though I suspect it is less dramatic outside the metropolitan area).
I went to a cycle way consultation early last year in the City and the people running it were responding to traffic problems that didn’t include Lime and other electric bikes.
They told me it takes 3-4 years for an idea to reach fruition, they pointed to the Bank junction which is slowly moving away from motorists during the day.
I am sure that bike problems of today will be met in a couple of years time but am far from sure in a couple of years they will be solving today’s problems!
I am currently in Bournemouth/Poole for the new year and notice how civilised the use of the esplanades is. Bikes – including electric bikes – mix with dogs and runners and walkers (young and old). This is most certainly a different traffic than the City!
The article in the FT was about the City of London which I think is currently a dangerous place for pedestrians, cyclists and taxi and bus drivers. Not many private drivers come in anymore.