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Cyclist, aged 78, dies after being hit by car in Edinburgh

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  1. kaputnik
    Moderator

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-26219323

    A 78-year-old cyclist has died after being involved in a collision with a car in Edinburgh.

    It happened as the man cycled on the B800 Kirkliston to South Queensferry at about 10:00.

    Police said the man's silver mountain bike collided with a black Mercedes.

    The driver of the car, who was uninjured, stopped and has been helping police with the inquiries. The road was closed for several hours while crash investigation were carried out.

    Officers have appealed for witnesses.

    Sgt Ross Drummond said: "We have been unable to trace any witnesses to this accident.

    "I am appealing for anyone who saw either the man on his bike - he was wearing every day clothing and was not in specialised cycling clothes - or the car around this time.

    "We would like to hear from anyone who can assist us in any way."

    BBC really hedging it's bets on this one - headline has "being hit by a car", first sentence has "being involved in a collision" only to be followed by "collided with a black Mercedes".

    For tragedies like this, they could at least have the decency to the bereaved to get the basic facts right and - if they don't know them at this time - to word it as such.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  2. stiltskin
    Member

    That explains why the road was closed today. It brings it home to you when it is an area you ride regularly. I'll lay money 'the sun was in the driver's eyes'

    RIP

    Posted 10 years ago #

  3. crowriver
    Member

    A terrible shame.

    Folk drive too fast on that road, in my experience. Shared use footpath alongside for most of it, but not all.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  4. Dave
    Member

    I don't think I've ever ridden along that stretch, but I have often ridden on the road linking Kirkliston with Newbridge, which is the same drivers. It's one of my least favourite stretches in terms of poor quality driving.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  5. le_soigneur
    Member

    @stiltskin Your surmise might well be what the driver uses.
    But it should be discounted as sunrise is at 7:40am. We don't know which direction either party was travelling at the time. The B800 is mainly north-south so the sun is not directly in view, either way. At 10am when the incident occured, the sun would have been well above sunscreen height even if the it was on the south-east section of the road.
    This road has quite a few blind crests and if you don't drive to the conditions, you can unexpectedly come upon a slow moving vehicle.
    Gadget distraction is quite a likely contender.
    Quite a few of the headlines are reading "Elderly man killed after car crashes into his bicyle" which is surprising (& dammning). Tragically.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  6. crowriver
    Member

    Had to cycle on that road recently as Standingstane Road completely closed for Forth Resilience Crossing access road works. I didn't enjoy it, vehicles going fast and too close. Hopped onto the shared use until it ran out here and you are forced to use the road or cross to the other side (not ideal): http://goo.gl/maps/u8zbX

    Posted 10 years ago #

  7. gembo
    Member

    How sad, I have cycled that way many times. Another cyclist was killed by the driver Of a vehicle a couple of years back just at the outskirts of kirkliston. The road is a rat run during the week but usually quiet on a Sunday.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  8. Murun Buchstansangur
    Member

    RIP. This is one of the few places where I'll use a shared use pavement, even on a road bike. Long straight road with many vehicles travelling too fast, too close. Proper safety/calming measures should have been put in place when the new FRB/M8 connection was complete, rather than the copout of allowing cycling on the pavement.

    Is it just me, or is the standard of driving in the western hinterland of Edinburgh lamentably worse than on the south or east? Not sure if I've just been unlucky to have most of my incidents there or if it's a common theme.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  9. gibbo
    Member

    For tragedies like this, they could at least have the decency to the bereaved to get the basic facts right and - if they don't know them at this time - to word it as such.

    I doubt they have the facts. So using words like "collision" seems appropriate, IMO.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  10. neddie
    Member

    Terrible shame.

    Sgt Ross Drummond said: "We have been unable to trace any witnesses to this accident."

    So, the police are already describing it as an 'accident'

    Posted 10 years ago #

  11. kaputnik
    Moderator

    The pavement for most of the way looks nice and wide, but for some reason there's a big lay-by just outside Kirkliston where it narrows and diverts around, as if there isn't enough space given over to motor vehicles on this road already.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  12. minus six
    Member

    This road has quite a few blind crests and if you don't drive to the conditions, you can unexpectedly come upon a slow moving vehicle.

    This.

    Since the M90 spur was completed, the dynamics of this road have changed from a traffic jammed crawl to a fast rat run.

    If this was a civilised country, I'd expect a full enquiry into how this road will be improved to prevent inappropriate motoring speeds leading to the death of a vulnerable road user.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  13. chdot
    Admin

    "If this was a civilised country, I'd expect a full enquiry into how this road will be improved ... "

    Yep.

    Not an area I know well.

    DEFINITELY a case for reviewing the road infrastructure in the area and eliminating rat runs

    Upgrading the Newbridge to Queensferry (off road) cycle route would be nice.

    Perhaps there should be a meeting involving CEC, Sustrans, Cycling Scotland, Transport Scotland, Spokes etc.

    Presumably Jim Orr could arrange one.

    jim.orr@edinburgh.gov.uk

    Posted 10 years ago #

  14. earthowned
    Member

    Here's one alternative approach to encourage safer overtaking on roads:

    http://www.edinburghrc.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=15728.0

    (A big pointy stick!)

    Posted 10 years ago #

  15. Tulyar
    Member

    Could always suggest that a Section 39 report, to investigate and propose ways to prevent a recurrence might be appropriate action - as set out in RTA 1988 as a (statutory) duty of the roads authority.

    Earthowned - I find that if there is anything which is likely to a) damage the car b) damage the paperwork (licence/insurance), the powers of observation for a driver are enhanced at least 10-fold.

    Unfortunately the Police tend to take a dim view of wearing your kryptonite (or similar) bike locking chain as a bandolier, and waving the spare end around in your right hand. It makes every car driver pull right over to the other lane though!

    Posted 10 years ago #

  16. chdot
    Admin

    Asked someone I know who cycles that way some weekdays -

    "Do you get the impression 'things have got worse' with all the bridge work?"

    Response -

    "Aye, definitely more white vans and more debris on the roads."

    Posted 10 years ago #

  17. kcr
    Member

    There is a wide, well surfaced path on the west side of the B800. However, it starts at the outskirts of Kirkliston and ends before S. Queensferry, so cyclists are forced to rejoin the road at these points. When travelling south, cyclists must execute a right turn across oncoming traffic, with traffic accelerating out of S. Queensferry behind, to join the path, or dismount at the edge of the road and walk across. This manoeuvre must be repeated to return to the road at Kirkliston. It is a typical example of poorly implemented infrastructure, and as a result you often see cyclists using the B800 instead.

    The almost fully segregated route from Newbridge to S. Queensferry is not a suitable alternative, because it is unsurfaced and often flooded, covered in branches, etc. OK for a Sunday pootle, but a poor commuting route.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  18. EddieD
    Member

    Back in the day we used to tip our cycle width flags with needles/glass/other sharp objects.

    Maybe a paintbrush or paint marker instead would be a good alternative.

    But I'd rather think of ways to make this road safer - I cycle it quite often, but only in quiet periods and I've never had any issues, but I can see that it could be intimidating. I think that there should, at the least, have safety islands to discourage speeding and overtaking.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  19. duncans
    Member

    <splutter> "Safety" islands!? One of the most lethal road features cyclists have to endure, requiring assertiveness-going-on-aggression to prevent drivers pushing past regardless.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  20. chdot
    Admin

    "

    Alastair Shields (@AGShieldsLibDem)
    17/02/2014 08:46
    This is very sad news and a strong message for all B800 users to be cautious at all times. Thoughts with the cyclist's family.

    "

    "
    Nice Wee Cod (@NiceWeeCod)
    17/02/2014 15:43
    @AGShieldsLibDem @CyclingEdin strong message to fix incomplete B800 path with dangerous entry and exit across two lanes travelling south.

    "

    Posted 10 years ago #

  21. duncans
    Member

    On the plus side, the FRC briefing I saw last week showed some improvements at the North end as far as echline roundabout, with a wider path over the A90. I was also led to believe that the problems at the pinch point outside tesco would be resolved.

    At the South end, the new junction with the housing scheme in Kirkliston features cycle lanes that you can't get to when traffic is quueued, which lead to pinch points (aka 'safety' islands). Assertiveness required to avoid being squished, assuming drivers co-operate.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  22. chdot
    Admin

    "

    Jim Orr (@CllrJimOrr)
    17/02/2014 22:26
    @CyclingEdin @AGShieldsLibDem @BCCletts Police r investigating & will report in few weeks or sooner if urgent. Email me if u want more done.

    "

    Posted 10 years ago #

  23. minus six
    Member

    I made a fillthathole request a couple of years ago regarding poor road surfacing on the B800, across from the entrance to the Dundas parks golf course.

    The road surfacing is patchwork rough and forces cyclists further out into the middle of the lane, just at the point where motorists are extra keen to put the foot down on the way down the hill.

    I pointed out that this represented hazardous conditions for cyclists.

    Nothing was ever done about it.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  24. chdot
    Admin

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/transport/dead-cyclist-named-as-george-fairley-1-3310233

    "
    Fairley was wearing a cycling helmet and high-viz tabard but otherwise was in every day clothing.

    "

    Didn't it just say 'normal clothing' yesterday??

    Posted 10 years ago #

  25. wishicouldgofaster
    Member

    I had a right strop at one of my colleagues yesterday for victim blaming by practically alluding to the cyclist being partially at fault for not wearing high viz or a helmet.

    We now know the poor man was but it seems crazy to me that people these days are now ignoring the main issue for road death being bad driving which regardless of anything else is causing these accidents.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  26. Dave
    Member

    After the experience of riding in Cuba, I feel quite embarrassed for the UK and its frankly weird (and sadly all-pervading) obsession with how much blame can be piled onto the people who are killed on our roads.

    Driving a car and not crashing into things, even if they aren't painted up like a dustbin man, is EASY.

    How have we managed to buy into this miserable status quo?

    Posted 10 years ago #

  27. kaputnik
    Moderator

    What does it matter what he was wearing?!

    It comes across a bit like "oh but he was asking for it, wasn't he? I mean he only had on a tabard and a helmet*, where was his dayglo survival suit?"

    * like we told him to.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  28. Nelly
    Member

    "How have we managed to buy into this miserable status quo?"

    we have not, but the Mainstream Media, aided I am afraid by much of the police and judicial system, have put us where we are.

    The media outlets also perpetuate the stupid victim blaming by mentioning helmets and hi viz at every opportunity.

    Until people start getting jailed regularly for killing people on the streets - the media wont change the line.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  29. stiltskin
    Member

    I think people are over-reacting a bit on the clothing. I assume that as it is an appeal for witnesses they are trying to jog people's memories by describing the victim

    Posted 10 years ago #

  30. chdot
    Admin

    "I assume that as it is an appeal for witnesses"

    Perhaps, but for most people this (from top of this thread) means something different -

    "

    Sgt Ross Drummond said: "We have been unable to trace any witnesses to this accident.

    "I am appealing for anyone who saw either the man on his bike - he was wearing every day clothing and was not in specialised cycling clothes - or the car around this time.

    "

    It seems that Sgt Drummond thinks that anything other than 'full Lycra' is not "specialised cycling clothes" - which is probably quite good but adds to general public confusion about what cyclists are 'supposed to wear'.

    Posted 10 years ago #

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