Video: Driver left hooks cyclist on upgraded Cycle Superhighway

A driver has hit a cyclist on a newly-upgraded section of Cycle Superhighway 2 in London, before using the excuse “I’m pregnant and wearing glasses”.

Footage captured by another rider, who was cycling on the main carriageway at the time, shows the moment the driver of a Vauxhall Corsa turns left into the middle of a group of three cyclists, hitting the third with the side of her car.

Although cyclists riding straight along the route, which is mid-way through a major upgrade between Aldgate and Bow, have priority over turning traffic, some cyclists say side roads need to be improved to slow drivers down and encourage them to look more carefully before they turn across the bike path.

The rider, whose knees were bloodied in the collision, was wearing a hi-vis yellow jacket and had front and rear lights, but the driver claims she didn’t see him. She can be heard apologising before explaining she’s pregnant and wearing glasses. Unsurprisingly the helmet cam cyclist, who uses the name Romanian Cyclist, and the injured rider, say this is no excuse.

The injured cyclist says: "Sorry's no good, you should be looking."

TfL unveils junction designed to eliminate left turn danger for cyclists

The helmet cam cyclist had joined the main carriageway at a previous junction, where another driver waited to turn left across the cycle route, and captured the incident from behind the driver’s car.

Martin Porter QC, barrister and cycling advocate, says he would have exited the cycle superhighway at this point to avoid turning traffic, too.

Agree. Note the filming cyclist leaves the cycle track to take primary passing the junction. What I would do also. https://t.co/BI1aelsMXD

— Martin Porter QC (@MartinPorter6) November 29, 2015

Cycle Superhighway 2 is mid-way through a major upgrade that will see the majority of the route protected from traffic by concrete kerbs, with separate traffic light phases at major junctions to protect cyclists from left hooks. Road.cc reported on the first of these junctions in the summer.

The concrete kerbs disappear at side roads so motor traffic can turn, but a dotted line indicates riders using the route have priority over turning traffic. Some cyclists say the concrete kerb needs to continue closer to side roads to encourage drivers to slow down and look before turning.  

CS2, in its earlier design, featured little more than just blue paint on the road, and the route became notorious when three cyclists died in three years 2011-2014 following collisions on the one mile route from Aldgate to Bow Roundabout. An extension, with protection from motor traffic, was built in 2012 from Bow to Stratford, but junction design on this section of CS2 was also criticised for providing too little protection to cyclists.