Further to dangerous driving by goods vehicles in the area

[treetoad]

Thought this one would be better as a separate thread.

In my previous post, I suggested starting a petition. After thinking about this a bit, I decided that a better place to start might be an email to Boris Johnson ([email protected]) and Tessa Jowell ([email protected]). I tried to get Paul Stephenson as well, but could not find an email for him. Following is what I have written:

Dear Tessa Jowell and Boris Johnson,

I am a keen cyclist and a regular commuter between East Dulwich and the Albert Embankment in Vauxhall. In the last month, along my regular route (Dog Kennel Hill/Grove Lane/Camberwell Road/Camberwell New Road/Kennington Oval and so on) I have witnessed four road traffic accidents involving heavy vehicles; one of these being the recent death of the female cyclist at the Oval. On only one occassion did the incident appear to involve a simple lapse of attention on the part of the driver: every other time the drivers appeared either aggreieved or impaired or both. I have complained regularly to the operating companies (Clarke's Coaches and Esso--the other was an unmarked white van), but have been left with the impression that--while they pay lip service to professionalism--they will not acutally act unless a) someone is injured or b) they witness the incident themselves. I appreciate what TFL have been trying to do regarding this matter, but in a climate where a cyclist killing a pedestrian is front-page news for The Metro while the drunken driver of a tipper lorry killing a cyclist doesn't merit any media attention, I am afriad the odds are stacked against cyclists. Indeed, the white van that nearly hit me early this week failed to indicate before chaning lanes and, when confronted, subjected me to hail of profanities and abuse about my 'lycra-lout' nature and how he, not I, was a tax-paying road user (in fact, I pay road tax on a motorcycle). This attitude must change.

Please, can you use your combined influence to work to change the attitude drivers? Also, can you please arrange for some kind of high-profile traffic policing campaign to try to deal with these problems?

I would suggest that everyone interested in this take whatever you'd like from my email, put in your own experiences, and email them (or your own MP it isn't Tessa Jowell) as well.

I'd also suggest a mail to Metro complaining about the recent headline regarding the cyclist who killed the pedestrian might be in order, too (will send one myself, shortly). The article does attempt to justify itself by suggesting this type of accident is very, very rare. Nevertheless, to a lazy reader, it gives the impression that cyclists are the authors of all our own problems.

Best,

Todd

[ianr]

Todd

Can you please post links to (1) the Metro article (2) any reference to the drunken tipper driver.

[Steady Eddy]

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