Tag Archives: HGVs

Moira Gemmill remembered at Vigil and Die-In

Moira Gemmill, 55, was killed on Thursday 9 April 2015 in the Lambeth Bridge roundabout in Westminster (photo: Evening Standard)
Moira Gemmill, 55, was killed on Thursday 9 April 2015 in the Lambeth Bridge roundabout in Westminster (photo: Evening Standard)

Moira Gemmill was killed in a crash whilst cycling at Lambeth Bridge and Millbank, Westminster on Thursday, 9 April 2015.

Over 400 people joined a vigil and die-in organised by ‘Stop Killing Cyclists’  on Monday, 20 April 2015 at Lambeth Bridge from 6pm.

Moira was the 25th person killed whilst cycling in the UK in 2015. She was the 5th person killed in London whilst cycling – all in crashes involving an HGV. All but one of the victims were women.

(photo by Sam Khamtonwong)
(photo by Sam Khamtonwong)

Our deepest condolences go to victim’s family and friends.

Our thanks go out to all the volunteers who helped organise the event, made speeches and shared their photos and videos of it. Special thanks go to the members of the MET Police who cycled to the vigil and kept us all safe.

You can read about the vigil and die-in, plus see videos, pictures and news reports, here:

Vigil and Die-In: Homerton High Street, Hackney

Akis Kollaros (bottom centre), a music producer, shown here with the Monument band, was killed on Homerton High Street on Monday 2 February 2015.

For the second time in less than a month, London’s cyclists will gather to commemorate the tragic and untimely death of one of their own in a vigil and die-in organized by the direct action protest group Stop Killing Cyclists.

On Monday, 9 February 2015 at 6pm (for 6:30pm) at Homerton High Street, near the Fire Station at Wardle Street, London E9, hundreds will ride rode in memory of Akis Kollaros who was crushed under the wheels of a tipper truck a week before.

Akis, a music producer, was the 14th cyclist to be killed in the UK in 2015, and the second in London.

UPDATE - follow-up from event: CLICK HERE.

Details, including map: CLICK HERE.

Facebook event: CLICK HERE.

We ask as many of you as possible to attend and to remember our fellow cyclist as well as highlighting the need for space and decent infrastructure for cyclists.

If anyone knew the victim and would like to take part in the vigil, you would be very welcome. But we also respect the privacy of family and friends if they do not wish to take part.

Our deepest condolences to the family and friends.

Vigil and Die-In: Hackney


UPDATE: Thank you!!
Please now see the post-event page: CLICK HERE


Following the very sad news of the death of Stephanie Turner on Tuesday, 20th January 2015 near Bethune Road, Hackney, at the junction with Amhurst Park, and Seven Sisters Road, London N16, there will be a Vigil and Die-In at this spot on MONDAY 26th JANUARY, meeting from 6pm for Die-In and Vigil at 6.30pm.

Details, including map: CLICK HERE.

Facebook event: CLICK HERE.

We ask as many of you as possible to attend and to remember our fellow cyclist as well as highlighting the need for space and decent infrastructure for cyclists.

If anyone knew the victim and would like to take part in the vigil, you would be very welcome. But we also respect the privacy of family and friends if they do not wish to take part.

Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Stephanie.

Press Release - Mayor Must End London’s Illegal Truck Epidemic Now!

Mayor Must End London’s Illegal Truck Epidemic Now!

Online Petition Launched by Stop Killing Cyclists

After yet another cyclist was killed by a truck at Vauxhall Cross, Stop Killing Cyclists have today (22nd June 2014) launched a petition calling on the London Mayor to set a target of reducing the illegally driven trucks on London’s roads down from its current epidemic levels (estimated to be over 30%) to a maximum of 1%.

The petition also calls on the Mayor to:

  • Provide the funding to achieve this to the Metropolitan Police Enforcement Unit
  • End the dangerous driver time-penalty systems used by TfL Buses and trucks used on the Crossrail Project.

The full text of the petition is below.

It is estimated that up to 30% of all trucks being driven in London were in an illegally dangerous state or were being driven illegally.

Stop Killing Cyclists petition author Fred Smith said:

“After yet another preventable killing at Vauxhall Cross we are calling for thousands of Londoners to sign this petition to pressure the Mayor to end the illegal truck epidemic on London’s roads and set a 2 year target to reduce illegality to a maximum of 1%, from its current estimated level of 30%”.

Donnachadh McCarthy, Stop Killing Cyclists co-founder said:

“Stop Killing Cyclists held a demonstration at Vauxhall Cross in December 2013, following the 6 awful November tragedies, calling for greater enforcement of truck safety regulations to protect London’s pedestrians and cyclists, yet almost nothing has changed. Dangerous illegal trucks keep putting Londoners lives at risk.

London’s vulnerable road users cannot tolerate TfL’s complacency any longer. The Mayor must target the killers not the victims.”


Stop Killing Cyclists - logo with website in redDate: Sunday June 22nd 2014
Press Contact: Donnachadh McCarthy
Telephone: 07947 8842 99

Note to editors:

1. Stop Killing Cyclists is the direct action protest group set up after the recent spate of cyclist killings in London. 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.

2. The online petition is hosted by 38 Degrees; Hotlink to the online petition: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/p/London-Mayor-Must-End-Lethal-Truck-Epidemic-Now

Vauxhall die-in protest3. Link to pictures and press coverage of December’s Vauxhall Cross Die-In Protest:

http://stopthekilling.org.uk/VauxhallDemo

4. This press release was revised on 22nd June to add a quote from the author of the petition and to provide a clearer hotlink petition web address (item 2, above).

Full Text of Petition

“Following the tragic death of yet another cyclist at Vauxhall under the wheels of a HGV truck, Stop Killing Cyclists call on the London Mayor to urgently increase enforcement of Truck Safety Laws and set a target of pushing the level of illegally driven or in an illegally dangerous state trucks down below 1% by the end of 2015, from the current estimated 30% level.

The Mayor must:

  • Increase the funding to the Metropolitan Police Truck Enforcement Unit to achieve this target
  • Amend all TfL Bus and HGV contracts (including Crossrail) to ban the practice of penalising drivers using time or load-based key performance indicators (KPI)
  • Ban the use of iBus to text TfL Bus Drivers while they’re driving and introduce safety performance KPIs which reward drivers for driving safely

Why is this important?

In London over half cyclist fatalities involve HGVs, despite HGVs making up only 5% of traffic [1].

The Metropolitan Police found in one targeted action that as few as a third of lorries met safety regulations [2]. The police must step up enforcement efforts to catch dangerous lorries before they kill more Londoners.

TfL and other bus and truck companies must stop using incentives which encourage dangerous driving, a practice which has been linked to the disproportionate number of accidents involving HGVs, especially those from the construction industry [3].

A TRL study showed texting whilst driving could be more dangerous than drink or drug driving [4]. Therefore it is unacceptable that TfL is using a text based system to communicate with bus drivers while they are driving.

With one cycling death a month so far in 2014 and even more pedestrian deaths, urgent action must be taken to prevent further fatalities on our roads.”

Elephant & Castle Die-In - Media Coverage

Stop Killing Cyclists hold their third die-in at Elephant & Castle outside the Strata building (photo by Sean O'Sullivan)
Stop Killing Cyclists hold their third die-in at Elephant & Castle outside the Strata building (photo by Sean O’Sullivan)

Elephant & Castle Draw-In and Die-In

Thank yous

Follow-Up

Event Listing: On website and On Facebook

Media Coverage - Before the Event

Media Coverage - After the Event

TV Reports and Interviews

Speeches

Pictures

 

Short-cut to this page:

http://StopKillingCyclists.org/ElephantCoverage


Follow-Up

5 June 2014: Elephant & Castle Emergency Cycling Safety Proposals Revealed

Media Coverage - Before the Event

Media Coverage - After the Event

TV Reports and Interviews

London Live (22 May 2014)

ITV News (21 May 2014, 6pm newscast)

 

ITV News (17 May 2014, am): Interview of widow of person killed

BBC London News (14 May 2014): Bart Chan interview with Tom Edwards

ITV News (14 May 2014, 6pm): Interview of Donnachadh McCarthy at E&C

London Live (14 May 2014, 7am): Interview of Donnachadh McCarthy at E&C

Speeches

GardenVisit.com (Tom Turner): Elephant and Castle protest demo - Space for Cycling London 21 May 2014

Pictures

Demotix…

Tim Hoy-Griffiths…

Andrew Reeves-Hall…