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TfL to address safety concerns over drivers ignoring red lights at Bow RoundaboutBow Roundabout green car jumps red light (user kmcyc YouTube still)

TfL to address safety concerns over drivers ignoring red lights at Bow Roundabout

Luke Redpath had initially been told by TfL nothing could be done, but it is now considering his suggestions
by Simon_MacMichael
Mon, Nov 03, 2014 21:23
6

Transport for London (TfL) has told a London cyclist who complained about the danger posed by motorists jumping red lights at Bow Roundabout that its strategy and planning team is considering suggestions he made about how to improve safety there.

Last month, we reported how Luke Redpath, who has to negotiate the roundabout by bike when travelling to and from his home in Romford to visit clients in the City, had been told by TfL that they were unable to take measures he suggested such as fitting cameras to catch motorists ignoring red lights.

The reason they gave was that there was no history within the last three years of drivers going through red lights being a factor in collisions.

But as we pointed out in our article, that was found to have been a potential factor in the death in October 2011 of Brian Dorling, one of three cyclists killed at Bow in the last three years.

TfL has now told Mr Redpath, who had supplied it with links to videos shot by cyclists that showed drivers at Bow ignoring traffic signals, sometimes putting bike riders at risk, that his suggestions were now being looked at by its strategy and planning team.

It said they would “investigate deterrent options for drivers going through red traffic light at this junction.”

In his original email to TfL, sent on 10 September, Mr Redpath said: “I seriously urge you to take measures to reduce red light jumping at all the lights at the roundabout but particularly those on the roundabout itself.”

His suggestions included installing red light cameras, changing the phasing of the lights, and putting up signs warning both motorists and cyclists of the potential danger.

He added: “In an ideal world none of these things should be necessary but there are a lot of bad, dangerous drivers out there.”

TfL has also told him that Metropolitan Police officers will now be monitoring Bow Roundabout as part of Operation Safety, which aims to crack down on anti-social or illegal road users, whether motorists or cyclists, and including those who jump red lights.

Mr Redpath told road.cc: “I am pleased that TFL are taking steps to improve the situation although I remain sceptical that Operation Safeway is a good deterrent to his kind of problem, as it seems more focussed on handing out often patronising advice to cyclists (wear high-vis! etc) than actually engaging with or educating drivers. But it's a start.

“Maybe instead of handing out safety leaflets to cyclists, they could start giving them out to drivers instead,” he added.

TFL
red light jumping
Luke Redpath
Bow roundabout
Simon MacMichael

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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6 comments

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truffy | 10 years ago
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They only have to think of the fines that they could levy by installing cameras and handing out thought-provoking fines to RLJs.

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Aussie Col | 10 years ago
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I was nearly run over by a car turning left with out indicating and with out looking..We have crap drivers in Australia as well...................................................................................

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A V Lowe | 10 years ago
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I am very clear that the Inquest for Venera M wrongly blamed her for running the red light and being rear-ended (NOT SIDE SWIPED) by a truck which had just about reached 13mph and then after hitting Venera took 49 metres to come to a stop.

A lot does not add up about the Police's responses to the Coroner's questions and the claim that she shot through on the inside to end up in front of the truck - well as a fit cyclist, she would be making a move like that at a speed of 15-20mph, hardly likely then to be rammed in the back by a truck doing 13mph. To make the suggested move, she would have had to pass within the range of the side detection system - tested, and working properly but not for the purposes of this inquest verdict (apparently) triggered by a cyclist passing on the nearside.

The Police were adamant that there was no STATIONARY traffic which could have blocked Venera setting off with the green advance (2 seconds) on the motor traffic - but from a massive library of video evidence we know that circulating and MOVING traffic is blocking cyclists for up to 4 seconds of the 2 second head-start (see the blindingly obvious issue here?). Several videos confirm this issue, cyclists cannot get away when the advance signals go green and faster motor vehicles barge through and cut them off with a left turn.

The inquest heard that the truck that killed Venera was not the front vehicle at the stop line. A light vehicle for which no details were offered by the Police or others set off ahead of the truck, and with the usual blocking of the advance start Venera would I suspect have been moving off as this untraced vehicle came upon her - perhaps forcing her to swerve or stop. If that vehicle had been a small van Venera would not have been visible to the truck driver - masked on the left side of the van, to the driver on the right side of the truck cab, and this detail exacerbated by the sweeping left bend.

The untraced, mystery driver has I suspect forced Venera to swerve and slow to get back on course to head for the City, leaving her exposed and directly in front of the accelerating truck, and having been masked by the preceding vehicle she would then be well down below the screen line for the truck driver to see her as the masking effect of that vehicle cleared.

The issue was clouded by the fact that when describing the traffic signal sequence, there was as far as I noted no mention of the fact that the circulating traffic phase preceded the cyclists early start, and what the overlap times were between the circulating traffic red signal appearing, and the cyclist getting their green - all 2 seconds of advance start!

Many still use the far safer option of going over the flyover - on the roundabout 100% of the motor traffic WILL drive through the path of any cyclist on CS2 at least once, and the only way this is prevented is by all parties complying with the traffic signals. On the flyover the risk of any motor vehcle driving through the path of a cyclist is practically nil.

The CS2 works on Stratford High Street have actually made things more dangerous for both drivers AND cyclists, with a major motor vehicle crash Eastbound where the flyover and slip road merge about 2 months ago, and a huge morning risk of left hooks or rear ending where a lot of traffic turns down Sugar Mill Lane and either charges through the CS2 lane or stops sharply with a less alert driver behind, plus cyclists heading over the flyover aslo move out to the outside lane (where previously they used the middle one.

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freespirit1 | 10 years ago
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As far as I am concerned stick cameras on every set of traffic lights, but also have a copper on duty to catch those who do not have registration numbers.

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kraut replied to freespirit1 | 10 years ago
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Exactly. Driving standards are so abysmal that TfL should just automatically build in a camera at every traffic light they install - and then retrofit all the old ones.

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mrmo | 10 years ago
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drivers jumping red lights, never!! That is what those moaning freeloaders do, not the law abiding, road tax paying drivers.

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