Moira Gemmill, 55, former director of design at the V&A museum, became the fifth cyclist to be killed in London this year when she was struck by a tipper lorry near Lambeth Bridge last week.
Responding to the news, Peter Murray, chairman of New London Architecture and a cycling campaigner, told Construction Manager: “Hopefully such a high-profile fatality like this forces people into action. It’s such a horrible situation, where growth in cycling has gone beyond the safety design of lorries operating in London.
“We need to look at this right across the board, stop blaming people and work out a solution in the real world to reduce the number of construction HGV deaths to zero.”
Murray believes that more needs to be done to investigate all possible options to improve cyclist safety, including increasing the visibility of vehicles, the timing of deliveries, and improved training of drivers, as well as improvements in legislation and infrastructure.
“It’s a complex situation that needs long-term thinking, not knee-jerk reactions,” said Murray.
Moira Gemmill is the fifth cyclist fatality in London this year
Murray and others set up the Construction Industry Cycling Group following the death of urbanist Francis Golding in 2013. The group has commissioned research that analyses accidents in detail, which will be presented in June.
The accident took place on the roundabout at the north end of Lambeth Bridge, a junction currently being considered for improvements as part of TfL’s Better Junctions programme.
Initial plans to reconfigure the junction were dropped in 2013 after objections to elements by several stakeholders including Westminster Council. However, a second consultation is currently being prepared to improve the junction, which will be out for consultation later this year.
Leon Daniels, managing director of surface transport at TfL, said: “Millbank roundabout is one of the junctions we plan to upgrade as part of our Better Junctions programme.
“Following a series of requests from stakeholders and the local authority for changes to initial proposals in 2013, we commissioned an extensive programme of off-street trials of new types of infrastructure and technology, never before seen on the UK’s roads and these trials concluded last year. We intend to consult later this year on a further design proposal for this junction.”
The Evening Standard reported that the 40-year-old driver of the lorry, from Potters Bar-based engineering firm JSM Construction, was questioned but not arrested.
From photos taken at the site, the vehicle was not fitted with side guards, although it is unknown whether these guards would have prevented a fatality.
From 1 September 2015, all vehicles over 3.5 tonnes entering London at any time will need to be fitted with side guards to protect cyclists from being dragged under the wheels in the event of a collision.
Under TfL’s Safer Lorry Scheme, which covers the same area as the Low Emission Zone, vehicles will also need to be fitted with Class V and Class VI mirrors giving the driver a better view of cyclists and pedestrians around their vehicles.
A vigil organised by Stop Killing Cyclists has been arranged for 20 April at the junction where the accident happened.
