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Kim Briggs widower calls for courier firms to check staff aren't using illegal bikesKim Briggs (picture via Metropolitan Police Service).PNG

Kim Briggs widower calls for courier firms to check staff aren't using illegal bikes

Matt Briggs has also asked retailers to stop advertising bikes with no brakes
by Sarah Barth
Sun, Sep 24, 2017 08:14
68

The widower of a woman killed by a cyclist on a fixed wheel track bike has called on courier firms to check all their employees and ensure their bikes are road legal.

Kim Briggs, 44, was killed by former courier Charlie Alliston, 20, last year, when she stepped into the road in front of him.

He had been riding a fixedwheel track cycle which did not have a front brake and so was illegal to use on the road.

He was jailed last week for causing bodily harm through wanton and furious driving but acquitted of manslaughter in relation to the death of Mrs Briggs, who died from head injuries sustained when the pair collided on London’s Old Street in February 2016.

Kim’s widower Matt Briggs wants companies to ensure that their staff use bikes that have front brakes on the handlebars and to issue spot checks to make sure they comply.

Mr Briggs has secured a government review into dangerous cycling with a view to creating a new offence comparable to death by dangerous driving.

He told the Express: “There are two types of fixed-brake bikes or ‘fixies’. There are those that have drill holes so front brakes can be attached and those that are Velodrome-style and don’t.

“The bike that hit Kim was one of the latter and they should simply not be on the road. It’s illegal.

“With the former, a lot of cyclists don’t bother to fit the front brakes so they can get about faster.

“When I come into central London for meetings 90 per cent of the people I see doing this are couriers. That’s why I’d like to sit down with the big courier firms and discuss ways of improving safety and ensuring the cyclists they use have road-legal bikes.

“Ideally, I’d like to see them not employ any rider who uses a bike without front brakes and to issue random spot checks at regular intervals to make sure those that do have brakes on their handlebars don’t just remove them when they think they’re in the clear.”

He also wants retailers like Evans Cycles and State Bicycle Co. to stop using images of bikes without front rakes in their advertising.

He said: “The police have a lot on their hands so I didn’t want to trouble them. I went to the source instead, the retailers.

“They’ve taken my points on board as ‘fixie’ bikes that are sold with front brakes are now shown in photos with the brakes attached. I’m just trying to find a way that’s better and safer for everyone.”

Alliston admitted in court during the trial that the bike, which he had bought second-hand the previous month, had not been fitted with a front brake to make it legal for use on the road and claimed he was unaware that it was required by law.

Kim Briggs
Charlie Alliston
fixed wheel
furious and wanton cycling

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68 comments

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burtthebike replied to BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
3 likes

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

And their head injury rates went up post helmet laws, it didn't do dick except push people off bikes and allow motorists to continue to drive like cunts.

The slight drop in adult head injuries despite the 90% use (from circa 40%) doesn't tell the tale of those that simply gave up cycling altogether,. They also shouted about how great it was for kids now that the numbers of injuries as a total dropped, again ignoring the fact that kids simply stopped cycling in massive numbers, something that NZ has never recovered, same as Aus.

And the unintended consequences were massive and entirely negative, with fewer people getting regular exercise, resulting in getting sick with chronic, avoidable illness and shortening their lives and costing billions in health care.  There have been examinations of the economic effects of helmet laws, and they cost a hell of a lot more than they save.

Avatar
Element2k3 | 6 years ago
2 likes

Looks like someone needs to see his name in the headlines. Even if he clearly has no idea about riding a bike with fixed gear - I mean, saying that cyclists ride brakeless because they want to go faster makes no sense whatsoever.

And I really would love to see him talk to the courier companies in London and tell them to check all the employees. Like they can force them to ride with brakes - if they say NO, what do you want to do? Without couriers those companies will run out of business very, very soon.

Avatar
Ush replied to davel | 6 years ago
1 like

davel wrote:

- Bloke going through unimaginable grief chooses the easy target in the pointless and avoidable event that killed his wife. Finds a cause; runs with it.

At the risk of being very unfair to the deceased and her widower:  Allison claimed that he called out twice loudly to warn the deceased.  I'm wondering whether the deceased and her family were already part of the "bloody cyclists" mindset and she took it so far as to play chicken.

Speculation,  based on nothing, but stimulated by Mr.Briggs' interventions.

Avatar
beezus fufoon replied to Ush | 6 years ago
3 likes

Ush wrote:

davel wrote:

- Bloke going through unimaginable grief chooses the easy target in the pointless and avoidable event that killed his wife. Finds a cause; runs with it.

At the risk of being very unfair to the deceased and her widower:  Allison claimed that he called out twice loudly to warn the deceased.  I'm wondering whether the deceased and her family were already part of the "bloody cyclists" mindset and she took it so far as to play chicken.

Speculation,  based on nothing, but stimulated by Mr.Briggs' interventions.

knowing that stretch of road, it seems more likely that the motor traffic just kept going, thereby squeezing the space for her crossing and the cyclist to a space of a metre or two in the middle of the road - and of course nobody really noticed that or even thought to mention it, it just goes unquestioned and unchallenged.

Avatar
Al__S replied to BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
0 likes

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

RPK wrote:

This is exactly the style of campaigning that went through NZ in the 80's and ended up with our mandatory helmet laws.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4031829/Aarons-tragedy-spurred-Helmet-La...

And their head injury rates went up post helmet laws, it didn't do dick except push people off bikes and allow motorists to continue to drive like cunts.

The slight drop in adult head injuries despite the 90% use (from circa 40%) doesn't tell the tale of those that simply gave up cycling altogether,. They also shouted about how great it was for kids now that the numbers of injuries as a total dropped, again ignoring the fact that kids simply stopped cycling in massive numbers, something that NZ has never recovered, same as Aus.

Can see on that chart how the decline in head injuies to cyclists simply carried on along the same trend. Really did make no difference

Avatar
Alex26c replied to ooldbaker | 6 years ago
8 likes
ooldbaker wrote:

I've heard Mr Briggs give many interviews. Never has he even suggested that he has anything against legal cyclists.

He says, and I fully believe him, that he regularly cycles with his children. 

He is not drawn on even commenting on Charlie Alliston let alone criticising other cyclists at all.

He merely wants steps taken to get illegal bikes off the road.

Plenty of people are using this case to vent their fellings about bikes but I am sure he is not one of them.

Maybe he should also be campaigning for pedestrians to look before crossing the road reither than looking on their phone. Track bikes represent a minority of bikes sold anyway.

Avatar
Alex26c replied to Ush | 6 years ago
1 like
Ush wrote:

davel wrote:

- Bloke going through unimaginable grief chooses the easy target in the pointless and avoidable event that killed his wife. Finds a cause; runs with it.

At the risk of being very unfair to the deceased and her widower:  Allison claimed that he called out twice loudly to warn the deceased.  I'm wondering whether the deceased and her family were already part of the "bloody cyclists" mindset and she took it so far as to play chicken.

Speculation,  based on nothing, but stimulated by Mr.Briggs' interventions.

I wouldn't speculate too much. I just think his grief has clouded his judgement and the rest of the media has reported what he said without constructive criticism.
According to the judge, shouting at pedestrians who jump in front of a cyclist is illegal. So now cyclists will have to stay quiet and brake really hard.

Avatar
kitsunegari replied to Alex26c | 6 years ago
0 likes

Alex26c wrote:

I wouldn't speculate too much. I just think his grief has clouded his judgement and the rest of the media has reported what he said without constructive criticism. According to the judge, shouting at pedestrians who jump in front of a cyclist is illegal. So now cyclists will have to stay quiet and brake really hard.

Indeed.

Mr Briggs needs to close his twitter account, take a deep breath, and spend sometime with his family.

His continued persuction of cyclists is not the answer to his grief.

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