Press Release

Date: 28^th October, 2016

Press contact: Nicola Branch 07710827041

HGV drivers responsible for 80% of female cycling fatalities.

Just three weeks after remembering Sheila Karsberg, killed while crossing the road in Camden, Stop Killing Cyclists (SKC), the cycling activist group, will commemorate yet another person killed by a lorry, with a Vigil and Die-In. The person being remembered this time is 32 year old Lucia Ciccioli from Italy, who died when she was riding her bicycle and was was hit by a British Gypsum lorry as she cycled along Lavender Hill, Battersea around 8am on Monday 24th October. SKC will gather from 5.30pm on Monday 31st October, outside Lavender Hill Police station which was near to the spot where Lucia was killed one week previously. From 6pm there will be speakers and then what is known as a Die – In where people will lie down on the street where Lucia fell. Candles will be lit and a “ghost bike” will be placed a the scene. Figures show that since January 2009, 91 people (over 16years old) have been killed in Greater London while riding a bike. 35 of them have been women, of which 29 - 83% - have been killed by drives of HGVs. This is an absolutely horrific situation which must end. In addition, in 2016 alone, 13 people have been killed while walking or crossing the road in London by HGVs. We are extremely concerned that due to the poor visibility and size of the vehicle, the driver had dragged the bicycle belonging to Ms Ciccioli for 150 yards with out being aware whatsoever. In fact initial reports from the police were that the death was of a person crossing the road, as the bicycle was so far from Lucia that it was not realised that she had been cycling. What on earth are such vehicles doing on our roads? Although Stop Killing Cyclists welcomes the move by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan for plans to introduce a star rating system for HGVs coming into London in accordance with their safety measures (mirrors, cameras, warning systems), the date of 2020 to start to bring this in is far too late. This move must be brought forward immediately. We cannot have any more deaths like those of Sheila Karsberg or Lucia Ciccioli. In addition, SKC are saying that Transport for London must truly recognise that cycling must be a priority for road design and transport planning if London is to become a safe place for everyone to cycle, not just the fit and the brave, but the pensioner, the child, the parent taking children to school, the ordinary person going about their daily business. Vigil Co-organiser Caspar Hughes said: “’Monday’s tragedy once again highlights the awful nature of allowing HGV’s with poor all round visibility on the streets. These needless deaths are avoidable if the haulage industry prioritised health and safety in public places. Stop Killing Cyclists will continue to demand that London and the UK’s streets are fit for purpose and safe for people by prioritising active transport “
Ends.
Notes for Journalists
Stop Killing Cyclists was set up after six cyclists were killed in London in November 2013, to carry out direct action in protest against traffic violence. They arranged the mass Die-In at TfL HQ where 1,500 cyclists laid down in the road in protest at lack of safety investment in London, and conduct vigils for to recognise the deaths of people on bicycles in London, calling for improved infrastructure for cyclists.
Event listing on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/events/1121391224645733/ Our Demands are as follows 1. Complete ban of poor visibility HGVs to be brought in by Sadiq Khan with immediate effect 2. Compulsory change to Zero Blind Spots cabs 3. Rush hour restrictions for all HGVs 4. British Gypsum and their subcontractors to subscribe to CIRAS* 5. HGV companies to organise route planning and route safety
*CIRAS is a confidential reporting system for Industry - http://www.ciras.org.uk/ Info about TfL’s Safer Trucks Programme can be found here http://content.tfl.gov.uk/assessing-drect-vision-in-hgvs-technical.pdf Photos and information about previous vigils can be found on our website at www.stopkillingcyclists.org. All photos on the website are available for media use, and representatives are available for interviews and media contact by emailing [email protected] or calling Nicola Branch on 07710827041