Cyclist killed by Olympic bus: witness accounts and Wiggins's input

Stagecoach are doing most of the team and media buses. So I'm guessing that would be right.

Sad story, just heard Lineker reading it out, declared dead on the scene around 7.45

Thoughts with the family at this time. RIP

BBC News report this morning showed a clip of Wiggins being asked about the incident and whether he thought it was safe to ride around London.

He respondend by stating that he thinks helmet wearing should be compulsary under law and that use of iPod's/phones while cycling made illegal.

Expect the Daily Fail to jump on this now that Wiggins has got involved even though from the sound of it the poor cyclist in question was dragged under the bus and a helmet would probably have made little difference.

I am slightly concerned that this thread includes a witness statement which may prejudice any fair investigation of this incident. Were a trial be in progress then I imagine that this would count as contempt of court and make the owners of this site liable to criminal prosecution.
I suggest you remove it and stick to reportable basic facts.

There's two ways to look at Wiggo's comments.

1) Common sense - Cycling can be dangerous and cyclists should do everything to keep themselves safe including the use of lights in the dark (which is mandatory), high-vis clothing and wearing safety gear like helmets. Once we do everything to keep ourselves safe then the responsibility is on motorists etc.

2) Damaging 'the cause' - Making helmets compulsary would re-enforce the image of cycling as dangerous and put people off riding, likewise if motorists see a cyclist in a helmet they may feel that they can pass closer and generally not worry as much about safety.

Putting aside the fact that cycling is dangerous in London I still think that Wiggins has a common sense point. Helmet's can help keep you safe, why wouldn't you wear one?

Very sad story on the day of a triumph.Eyewitness account isnt a contempt as there are no proceedings yet and no one can guess the outcome.Very useful reminder not to pass inside heavy vehicles at junctions,and for all drivers to check their mirrors.
Would have been handy for Brad to say that cyclists and traffic need to be separated by barriers but I guess he was doing his best on the spot to protect cycling from criticism.

Why on Earth did Wiggins have to say that? That poor bloke was crushed under a bus and Bradley has to mention helmets?

Utterly terrifying account from the witness. Well done for trying to comfort the victim. I'm not sure I would be the composed.

Such a sad thing to happen.

Shall we press charges against Brad and his kids for riding helmetless during his recent celebrations?

Crass, stupid comments from Wiggins.

I cycled along Eastway past the Media centre and the whole road layout there has been compromised to accommodate the media centre traffic. Eastway was 1-way with contra flow cycling but I think canal bridge not suitable for coaches & buses, so they have had to create 2-way with narrow lanes to get out.

Stagecoach does have the contract for Games Family coaches/buses, so it is likely to be Stagecoach driver if not Stagecoach bus/coach.

The description is of the 180 degree full lock hairpin turn to join the A12 Westbound - the Junction is East of where the A12 turns South to join A102(M)there is a VERY confusing junction arrangement with 2 Games lanes which suddenly appear as you cycle East on Eastway, a direction originally contra-flow to all motorised traffic, but a seriously compromised arrangement has been put in place to get the intensive flow of coaches 7 buses through the media centre/games family 'bus station' and car park access at this point.

To head straight on safely here you should be cycling in the offside Games lane and the nearside lane was I think (but not clearly) signed for the left turn on to the A12.

Should really get a camera so I could have recorded my route through. On Eastbound pass I think I had to make coach driver turning right (up same slip road from other direction) aware of my presence with theoretical priority to go forwards here.

Only picture I took was the daft bollard - too busy staying alive perhaps to take pictures of road layout - and if I had been I'd probably have been chased as a terrorist.

NB First has contract for public bus shuttles but buses from far & wide and drivers from all bus operators contracted to First.

How exactly is a helmet supposed to help if you're dragged under a bus?

Being crushed by commercial and construction vehicles kills a disproportionately high number of cyclists, certainly in London. It's massive internal organ damage that kills them, as horrific as that sounds.

Next time a pedestrian is killed by a car can the BBC get hold of Paula Radcliffe and ask her about the need for people out walking to wear Hi-Viz and body armour?

A helmet wouldn't have saved him. Not cycling alongside the bus might have (if the witness is correct).

Every day in London I see red light jumpers and cyclists undertaking lorries or trying to push past at the lights when they are only going to be overtaken seconds later and they would be safer to stay behind.

I'm really unsure of how we improve things. As cyclists we have the same rights on the road as other vehicles and yet we are not, as a group, as disciplined as other drivers and many take ridiculous risks when they are at most risk of injury/death.

The problems are evident, solutions not so much.

I'm guessing Brad didn't have much info on the incident, and was therefore commenting rather generally about cycling in London rather than this incident, so "wear a helmet" is a valid opinion, although it wouldn't appear to make the difference in this situation. So so sad.

Agree though that the account is "utterly terrifying". Wonder if the bus was indicating?

In fairness to Wiggins he probably didn't have all the facts, didn't have time to prepare an answer and didn't really know what was being asked. Assuming the questions was just a 'someone was killed cycling in London tonight, is London safe to cycle in' then you can justify his answer of effectively 'No' with caveats of being as safe as possible by wearing helmets etc.

Wiggins is basing his opinion on helmet wearing on his own experiences. He probably sees the benefit of one because he rides at great speed and in groups where coming off is constant danger and has seen that a high speed crash can lead to head injuries
I doubt he rides in rush hour urban traffic at slow speeds on a commute.
This poor fella who died was ran over by a bus and no helmet in the world was going to save him.
Wiggins helmet comments, which he has made before, are unhelpful to those of us who choose to not wear one and only add to my growing feeling that legislation is on the horizon.

I'm continuing to hope for a sea change in public attitudes towards cycling safety. I just sent this to Brian Cookson. If anyone can get it to influential people within the Sky organisation, feel free to forward the link:

http://fiftyyearsandcounting.wordpress.com/2012/08/02/wiggins-speaks-out...

Colin

Agree with above I to doubt Wiggo had been told of the details of the accident.

Wiggo speaking his mind and is nothing I for one support his statement.

As adults we have a choice but c'mon under 16s should have to wear a helmet. That way you grow up and don't know any different.

My little man who is 3 now rides on two wheels and has had a helmet since I bought him a balance bike at 18 months (pushy dad eh?

Now when he rides a bike it is natural instinct to wear the helmet.

What ever the argument helmets prevent injury and I know from personal experience.

Wow talk about hero to zero Mr. Wiggins comments are his own thoughts/opinions and he is entitled to them however to say what he said (and more importantly When) was at best ill conceived but before I go completely ballistic, one question, how much information was he given before he said all that tosh.

If the witness statement is correct, the cyclist was at fault. The bus driver would have had no knowledge of his presence and the rider had put himself into the hazardous situation. It is very sad, but we must not get into the mind-set which says 'cyclists are NEVER to blame'.

On the subject of helmets, this rider would not have been saved by a helmet and there is no mention of his wearing or not wearing one. If you read the specifications for cycle helmets, they are designed to protect in single vehicle accidents at speed below 10mph. In other words, if you fall off at low speed. In most cases they will not protect you at higher speeds and may well exacerbate the injuries received.

Terribly sad news.
I support Wiggins comments. Its all common sense...

If you block out the sounds of the road by wearing headphones or listening to music you give yourself little chance of hearing danger.
If you dont wear a helmet you risk serious head injury.
If you dont wear hi-viz clothing or use dont use lights in the dark you wont be seen easily.
If you jump red lights you could collide with a vehicle / somebody.

I think a more useful comment from Wiggins would be to warn cyclists not to ride up the inside of large vehicles.

Brake's press release on the incident is interesting - no mention of helmets in its reporting of Wiggo's comments:

National charity backs Wiggins’ appeal for safer cycling, and calls for safety measures to enable active lifestyles

Olympic gold medallist Bradley Wiggins has called for safer cycling following the tragic death last night of a 28 year old cyclist, who was run over and killed by a coach close to the Olympic Velodrome. Wiggins commented that cycling in the capital can be dangerous, and there needs to be more ‘give-and-take’ between drivers and cyclists. He advised cyclists to do everything they can to keep themselves safe and argued cycle helmets should be mandatory.
Brake, the road safety charity, is campaigning for key measures to protect cyclists and pedestrians, to prevent devastating casualties and make it safer for people to enjoy active, sustainable lifestyles, including:
• Widespread 20mph limits in towns and cities and lower limits on rural roads, to give drivers more time to react and more chance of avoiding collisions
• More traffic-free and segregated cycle paths, especially on key commuter routes and connecting homes and community facilities
• Safe pavements, footpaths and crossings in communities

Julie Townsend, Brake deputy chief executive, says: “We echo Wiggins’ calls for cyclists to do everything they can to protect themselves, but it’s also critical that far more is done to make roads safer for cycling and walking. We are appealing to government and local authorities to give greater priority and investment to enabling people to walk and cycle in their own communities without their lives being endangered. We need more widespread 20mph limits, and safe routes for people choosing these healthy and sustainable forms of transport.
“If we are to encourage more active and sustainable lifestyles, and enable more children and adults to take up sports like cycling and running, we need our streets to be more cyclist and pedestrian friendly.”

Cycling up the inside of a large vehicle even while it is at rest is a risky manoeuvre. As the witness statement says, it is safer to keep behind and wait. I feel sympathy for the family of the victim - but if the incident occurred as described then the blame will be shared - to what degree that is so will be decided in court.

A lot of the fatalities involving cyclists and large vehicles occur when the large vehicle makes an unexpected manoeuvre such as cutting across a lane without indicating or when indicating very late. Neither a helmet nor the bodyarmour I wear for BMX racing would give adequate protection in an incident with a large vehicle as decribed in this article. For the moment the witness account may not be considered predjudicial to any court case, but it would probably be advisable to take it down shortly as it is quite possible it will be copied by those less aware of the laws.

I note the coach involved was for transporting members of the media. I wonder if this will have an effect on the reporting, given that there were may have been more witnesses?

I cyclec into the centre of London last night with my wife and neither of us bothered with helmets. I note Wiggo's son was not wearing a helmet when he rode down the street in Paris alongside his father while celebrating the Tour win. Paris is a busy city and has a higher rate of fatal road accidents than London, so perhaps Wiggo should consider that fact - throw, shouldn't, glass house, stones - and all that.