Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Live blog: Coach driver convicted of killing cyclist Karla Roman, Porte to Trek-Segafredo, Twitter debate as Kim Briggs' widow asks cabbies to support dangerous cycling consultation +more

All today's news from the site and beyond...

Please give our live blog a few seconds to load.. and if it's still not playing ball, try refreshing the page. 

 

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.

Add new comment

63 comments

Avatar
ciderman_100 | 5 years ago
0 likes

The one thing people forget is that Briggs was looking at her mobile phone whilst stepping into traffic it wad a 50/50 accident that led to loss of life this happens everyday but because the traffic had defective/No brakes he blames the traffic a warning was shouted she didn't hear (because she was engrossed in her phone
How many taxis fail their passenger vehicle check and he's asking their opinion on road safety and cyclists. What a cock.

Avatar
Hirsute replied to ciderman_100 | 5 years ago
1 like

ciderman_100 wrote:

The one thing people forget is that Briggs was looking at her mobile phone whilst stepping into traffic

Not correct.

Alliston did claim this at one point but there was no evidence to support it.

A mobile phone was found on the scene though.

Avatar
Mungecrundle | 5 years ago
0 likes

Many years ago, before ASLs were a thing, I observed a Police motorcyclist in London filter between 2 lines of traffic and when he got to the front he sort of made his own ASL by pulling his bike at an angle in the front of the car of the lane he wanted. When the lights changed he was of course off and away up the road, plenty of space and smooth as you like.

I was really impressed with this manoeuvre; taking a dominant road position, making himself highly visible, maximising his own view into the junction, avoiding creation of a third lane of traffic or having to get into some sort of race off the line to make clear roadspace. I often do this myself when filtering on a motorcycle and even though my bike does not have Police markings no-one has ever shown any anger about it, though I dread the day I stall the bike while pulling away. It undoubtedly is not strictly legal but it certainly feels safer from the motorcyclist point of view.

I don't ride or drive roads with ASLs. Actual experience might teach me otherwise, but in principal sharing them with other motorised 2 wheelers would not worry me.

Avatar
ktache | 5 years ago
4 likes

I think most drivers don't pay too much attention to the actual roads much.

Avatar
vonhelmet | 5 years ago
3 likes

That’s the other end of it, of course. I bet the majority of drivers don’t even know what an ASL is or what they’re supposed to do there.

Avatar
hawkinspeter | 5 years ago
0 likes

I have some sympathy for the police with not enforcing ASLs as it wouldn't be clear-cut for them to have an easy time enforcing it. AFAIK it's only illegal to enter an ASL (i.e. cross the solid white line) when the lights are red, so the police would have to have video or be watching the driver as otherwise the driver could just claim that the lights had turned red before they got a chance to cross the junction.

It'd be nice if they did (e.g. traffic cameras set up to auto-record and auto-fine motorists as they do with speeding cameras), but even to me as a cyclist it's low priority. I'd prefer they spent more time stopping drivers not paying attention (e.g. on phones) or performing close passes as that's more dangerous to me.

Avatar
vonhelmet replied to hawkinspeter | 5 years ago
2 likes

hawkinspeter wrote:

I have some sympathy for the police with not enforcing ASLs as it wouldn't be clear-cut for them to have an easy time enforcing it. AFAIK it's only illegal to enter an ASL (i.e. cross the solid white line) when the lights are red, so the police would have to have video or be watching the driver as otherwise the driver could just claim that the lights had turned red before they got a chance to cross the junction.

It'd be nice if they did (e.g. traffic cameras set up to auto-record and auto-fine motorists as they do with speeding cameras), but even to me as a cyclist it's low priority. I'd prefer they spent more time stopping drivers not paying attention (e.g. on phones) or performing close passes as that's more dangerous to me.

If the law is unenforceable, then it’s a bad law. They may as well not have them, save the paint.

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to vonhelmet | 5 years ago
2 likes

vonhelmet wrote:

hawkinspeter wrote:

I have some sympathy for the police with not enforcing ASLs as it wouldn't be clear-cut for them to have an easy time enforcing it. AFAIK it's only illegal to enter an ASL (i.e. cross the solid white line) when the lights are red, so the police would have to have video or be watching the driver as otherwise the driver could just claim that the lights had turned red before they got a chance to cross the junction.

It'd be nice if they did (e.g. traffic cameras set up to auto-record and auto-fine motorists as they do with speeding cameras), but even to me as a cyclist it's low priority. I'd prefer they spent more time stopping drivers not paying attention (e.g. on phones) or performing close passes as that's more dangerous to me.

If the law is unenforceable, then it’s a bad law. They may as well not have them, save the paint.

I'd rather keep ASLs and an unenforced (it could be enforced if there was enough demand) law and hope that maybe they'll do some public education about them.

Avatar
vonhelmet | 5 years ago
1 like

I read a column in the Guardian about ASLs and how the law on it is pretty vague. It concluded that while it is illegal, it’s definitely not a priority to police it.

Avatar
vonhelmet | 5 years ago
1 like

Content on the bbc website might be vastly different to that on the radio or the tv. Same as how the daily mail is a borderline readable newspaper, but the website is a cesspit.

Avatar
Beecho replied to vonhelmet | 5 years ago
5 likes

vonhelmet wrote:

the daily mail is a borderline readable newspaper, 

Now you’ve gone way too far...

Avatar
hawkinspeter | 5 years ago
2 likes

Here's the Grauniad's take on the BBC's anti-cycling bias: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2017/nov/17/why-are-cy...

Avatar
Pushing50 replied to hawkinspeter | 5 years ago
2 likes

hawkinspeter wrote:

Here's the Grauniad's take on the BBC's anti-cycling bias: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2017/nov/17/why-are-cy...

Thank you for the link. An interesting read and so true. I think that I still fancy Naga Munchetty over Peter Waker though!

Avatar
fenix replied to hawkinspeter | 5 years ago
0 likes

hawkinspeter wrote:

Here's the Grauniad's take on the BBC's anti-cycling bias: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2017/nov/17/why-are-cy...

 

That does sound like a crappy program but there are a lot of people who think the same - just look at the comments on any bike story in the papers. 

I think the DOT needs to do a driver education program. They don't see a person on a bike as one less car in their traffic jam. 

Avatar
pockstone | 5 years ago
5 likes

BBC R4 still think it appropriate to employ and give airtime to one Matthew Parris, who called for cyclists to be randomly decapitated...repeat: RANDOMLY DECAPITATED.. for Christmas entertainment!

They'll have to put out a lot of pro cycling shows to make up for his continued license- payer funded presence on the airwaves .

Avatar
Pushing50 | 5 years ago
3 likes

@davel...

I agree with you on that. I just cannot understand how this shit comes to the forefront of peoples concerns when there are so many more dangerous acts being committed on the public highway. 

The world has gone politically incorrectly mad.

Avatar
davel replied to Pushing50 | 5 years ago
5 likes

Pushing50 wrote:

@davel...

I agree with you on that. I just cannot understand how this shit comes to the forefront of peoples concerns when there are so many more dangerous acts being committed on the public highway. 

The world has gone politically incorrectly mad.

Crusade. His wife was killed by an errant cyclist (how errant is up for debate, and, apparently, for manipulation by shitty Met 'tests').

He's not looking to make the world a better place - he's looking to make sense of his wife's death. Perfectly understandable. But MPs and the like need to make sure he isn't allowed to dribble his vendetta all over parliament and law. At the moment, some are abdicating that responsibility, just so they avoid telling a bereaved husband to sit the fuck down because he doesn't know what he's doing.

I'm also looking forward to the highly publicised review into the effects of drivers abusing the ASL in case they're 'swamped with cyclists'. Norman, you bellend. 

Avatar
Pushing50 replied to davel | 5 years ago
2 likes

davel wrote:
Pushing50 wrote:

@davel...

I agree with you on that. I just cannot understand how this shit comes to the forefront of peoples concerns when there are so many more dangerous acts being committed on the public highway. 

The world has gone politically incorrectly mad.

Crusade. His wife was killed by an errant cyclist (how errant is up for debate, and, apparently, for manipulation by shitty Met 'tests'). He's not looking to make the world a better place - he's looking to make sense of his wife's death. Perfectly understandable. But MPs and the like need to make sure he isn't allowed to dribble his vendetta all over parliament and law. At the moment, some are abdicating that responsibility, just so they avoid telling a bereaved husband to sit the fuck down because he doesn't know what he's doing.

Crusades are never really a good idea. The fourth one springs to mind.

Avatar
burtthebike replied to Pushing50 | 5 years ago
3 likes

Pushing50 wrote:

I agree with you on that. I just cannot understand how this shit comes to the forefront of peoples concerns when there are so many more dangerous acts being committed on the public highway. 

The world has gone politically incorrectly mad.

It's because cyclists are an out group and can be attacked with impunity by members of bigger gangs and gain kudos for doing so.  Most drivers think that they are above average, and find it difficult to admit making a mistake, and it is always the easy way out to blame someone else, and cyclists fit the bill perfectly, as the msm is blatantly anti-cyclist, so their views are reinforced.

Is there any msm which has actually taken Mr Briggs to task, difficult as it might be?  I don't think so, but they all crucified Alliston at length, and were far from accurate in their reporting.

Probably the biggest problem cyclists have is the rabid anti-cyclism in the msm, especially the BBC, which apparently has a ban on mentioning anything positive about cycling, despite the overwhelming evidence and dozens, if not hundreds, of reports detailing the benefits.

Avatar
kevvjj replied to burtthebike | 5 years ago
3 likes

burtthebike wrote:

Pushing50 wrote:

I agree with you on that. I just cannot understand how this shit comes to the forefront of peoples concerns when there are so many more dangerous acts being committed on the public highway. 

The world has gone politically incorrectly mad.

 

Probably the biggest problem cyclists have is the rabid anti-cyclism in the msm, especially the BBC, which apparently has a ban on mentioning anything positive about cycling, despite the overwhelming evidence and dozens, if not hundreds, of reports detailing the benefits.

Really? All that live coverage of track cycling, Ride London etc etc is not positive?

Try this: go to the BBC website and in the search field type 'cycling'. Dozens and dozens of articles, footage, radio talk etc on cycling - very little of it negative. I remember recently a very good coverage of the results of research on cycling into old age - many stories on this over a few days. Biased? I don't think so.

Avatar
FluffyKittenofT... replied to kevvjj | 5 years ago
2 likes

kevvjj wrote:

burtthebike wrote:

Pushing50 wrote:

I agree with you on that. I just cannot understand how this shit comes to the forefront of peoples concerns when there are so many more dangerous acts being committed on the public highway. 

The world has gone politically incorrectly mad.

 

Probably the biggest problem cyclists have is the rabid anti-cyclism in the msm, especially the BBC, which apparently has a ban on mentioning anything positive about cycling, despite the overwhelming evidence and dozens, if not hundreds, of reports detailing the benefits.

Really? All that live coverage of track cycling, Ride London etc etc is not positive?

Try this: go to the BBC website and in the search field type 'cycling'. Dozens and dozens of articles, footage, radio talk etc on cycling - very little of it negative. I remember recently a very good coverage of the results of research on cycling into old age - many stories on this over a few days. Biased? I don't think so.

 

Still constitutes bias though - you shouldn't balance facts with lies (which, to be fair, is the Beeb's idea of 'balance' across a lot of topics, not just cycling).

Avatar
burtthebike replied to kevvjj | 5 years ago
4 likes

kevvjj wrote:

burtthebike wrote:

Pushing50 wrote:

I agree with you on that. I just cannot understand how this shit comes to the forefront of peoples concerns when there are so many more dangerous acts being committed on the public highway. 

The world has gone politically incorrectly mad.

 

Probably the biggest problem cyclists have is the rabid anti-cyclism in the msm, especially the BBC, which apparently has a ban on mentioning anything positive about cycling, despite the overwhelming evidence and dozens, if not hundreds, of reports detailing the benefits.

Really? All that live coverage of track cycling, Ride London etc etc is not positive?

Try this: go to the BBC website and in the search field type 'cycling'. Dozens and dozens of articles, footage, radio talk etc on cycling - very little of it negative. I remember recently a very good coverage of the results of research on cycling into old age - many stories on this over a few days. Biased? I don't think so.

My BBC experience is mainly R4, and I have never heard a single article about the overwhelming benefits of cycling in thirty years, but they always find time to attack cyclists or find a negative slant on a cycling story.  That would be the same BBC website which has endless articles promoting cycle helmets and maybe one which presents the facts would it?

Avatar
fenix replied to burtthebike | 5 years ago
1 like

burtthebike wrote:

 

My BBC experience is mainly R4, and I have never heard a single article about the overwhelming benefits of cycling in thirty years, but they always find time to attack cyclists or find a negative slant on a cycling story.  That would be the same BBC website which has endless articles promoting cycle helmets and maybe one which presents the facts would it?

Love Radio 4 - can't say I recall anything anti bike on there. 

There's been a couple of pro cycling plays over the years. 

BBC tv shows all of the ride london events - that's got to be positive as well as a lot of Triathlon coverage. 

Anyone remember John Noakes riding (some of) the Milk Race ?

I saw the Lambs on the One Show just the other day plugging their cycling round Britain prog - nobody slagged them off. 

I really think you're misremembering. 

 

A quick google on their site found this : https://www.bbc.co.uk/search?q=Right%20of%20Way%3A%20Cycling%20and%20the...

 

Will listen to that later. 

Avatar
Dnnnnnn replied to fenix | 5 years ago
0 likes

fenix wrote:

burtthebike wrote:

My BBC experience is mainly R4, and I have never heard a single article about the overwhelming benefits of cycling in thirty years, but they always find time to attack cyclists or find a negative slant on a cycling story.  That would be the same BBC website which has endless articles promoting cycle helmets and maybe one which presents the facts would it?

Love Radio 4 - can't say I recall anything anti bike on there. 

There's been a couple of pro cycling plays over the years. 

BBC tv shows all of the ride london events - that's got to be positive as well as a lot of Triathlon coverage. 

Anyone remember John Noakes riding (some of) the Milk Race ?

I saw the Lambs on the One Show just the other day plugging their cycling round Britain prog - nobody slagged them off. 

I really think you're misremembering. 

A quick google on their site found this : https://www.bbc.co.uk/search?q=Right%20of%20Way%3A%20Cycling%20and%20the...

Will listen to that later. 

Likewise, a regular R4 listener, I can't say I've noticed much about cycling - positive or negative.

Avatar
FluffyKittenofT... replied to fenix | 5 years ago
2 likes

fenix wrote:

burtthebike wrote:

 

My BBC experience is mainly R4, and I have never heard a single article about the overwhelming benefits of cycling in thirty years, but they always find time to attack cyclists or find a negative slant on a cycling story.  That would be the same BBC website which has endless articles promoting cycle helmets and maybe one which presents the facts would it?

Love Radio 4 - can't say I recall anything anti bike on there. 

There's been a couple of pro cycling plays over the years. 

BBC tv shows all of the ride london events - that's got to be positive as well as a lot of Triathlon coverage. 

Anyone remember John Noakes riding (some of) the Milk Race ?

I saw the Lambs on the One Show just the other day plugging their cycling round Britain prog - nobody slagged them off. 

I really think you're misremembering. 

 

A quick google on their site found this : https://www.bbc.co.uk/search?q=Right%20of%20Way%3A%20Cycling%20and%20the...

Will listen to that later. 

 

I gave up listening to Radio Four.  For many reasons (one of them begins with 'John' and ends with 'Humphrys', but there are a lot of others).  But I remember things on both sides of this. 

 

'You and Yours' (I think it was) discussing at inordinate length the ridiculous idea of licencing cyclists, just because one hit-and-run cyclist had knocked over a child somewhere, leaving her with bruising.  (I note the Beeb paid nothing like as much attention to this:

https://metro.co.uk/2018/08/21/girl-12-seriously-injured-in-hit-and-run-...

)

 

On the other hand, there was More Or Less discussing the health benefits of cycling and concluding (very weirdly) that an hour of cycling adds an hour to your life expectancy.  Thus implying you could achieve imortality as long as you never stopped pedalling.

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to FluffyKittenofTindalos | 5 years ago
1 like

FluffyKittenofTindalos wrote:

On the other hand, there was More Or Less discussing the health benefits of cycling and concluding (very weirdly) that an hour of cycling adds an hour to your life expectancy.  Thus implying you could achieve imortality as long as you never stopped pedalling.

Probably a reference to this study:

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/10/12/cycling-add-years-to-life-ex...

Which I think is probably this one:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4504332/

Avatar
Awavey replied to fenix | 5 years ago
3 likes

fenix wrote:

burtthebike wrote:

 

My BBC experience is mainly R4, and I have never heard a single article about the overwhelming benefits of cycling in thirty years, but they always find time to attack cyclists or find a negative slant on a cycling story.  That would be the same BBC website which has endless articles promoting cycle helmets and maybe one which presents the facts would it?

Love Radio 4 - can't say I recall anything anti bike on there. 

There's been a couple of pro cycling plays over the years. 

BBC tv shows all of the ride london events - that's got to be positive as well as a lot of Triathlon coverage. 

Anyone remember John Noakes riding (some of) the Milk Race ?

 

doesnt that rather prove the point though, one of the best pro cycling examples you can find from the Beeb is something they made 40plus years ago...

and Id actually argue all the coverage of ride london/track cycling they do is a false positive, because it firmly treats and conveys the idea that cycling is just a sport that only incredibly fit people or professional athletes do.

certainly as a whole of their output when you dig down into their local broadcasting on tv or radio, you find presenters doing phone ins,that wouldnt sound out of place on LBC, that are very anti cycling/pro motorist in tone.

Avatar
Hirsute | 5 years ago
0 likes

I'm not entirely sure how this popped up on my front page

https://road.cc/content/news/212194-cyclists-defence-fund-urges-police-r...

The latest I could find is the same page and a crowd funding page seemingly abandoned.

Perhaps Mr Briggs could petition for teenagers not to be on the road.

Avatar
brooksby | 5 years ago
8 likes

How on Earth can Matthew Briggs say that he "doesn't get drawn on emotive issues "? His entire campaign has been based on it! 

Avatar
Pushing50 replied to brooksby | 5 years ago
5 likes

brooksby wrote:

How on Earth can Matthew Briggs say that he "doesn't get drawn on emotive issues "? His entire campaign has been based on it! 

Precisley this and all previous comments. What sort of utopia is he looking for in his spouse's memory? The hypocrisy of the campaign is outstanding.

Pages

Latest Comments