The Town Square, Walthamstow.
Sunday, 6 July 2008
Crap policing
The Met's deputy commissioner, Paul Stephenson, yesterday emphasised that tackling knife crime was the force's "No 1 priority". Speaking at a Metropolitan Police Authority meeting, he said the gangs and knife crime taskforce would be deployed to the worst-affected of London's 32 boroughs "with immediate effect". Teams of officers have already been deployed to troublespots since the launch of Operation Blunt 2 in May.
In reality Londoners, including teenagers, are far more likely to be injured or killed by a driver than by either a terrorist or a teenager with a knife. But the Metropolitan Police has always been a car supremacist force, very reluctant to enforce any traffic laws. Indeed:
Between 1980 and 2001 numbers of traffic police in London were slashed from 1063 to 646
Currently there are over 33,670 police officers in the Met of whom only 2% (690) work on traffic policing. More than three times the number of individuals were found guilty in court of traffic offences in London in 1984 (230,882) than in 2004 (71,661) There is reluctance by the police to prosecute drivers who injure pedestrians, in the absence of independent witnesses. London drivers are more likely to get away with speeding and other motoring offences than road users in other regions.
Pedestrians and cyclists are at the sharp end of this bigoted policing. Last year in London:
Serious injuries among cyclists rose by 6 per cent . This is attributed partly to the big increase in cycling, which has almost doubled in Greater London in the past seven years. Child deaths are down 28 per cent, but this is partly because fewer children are allowed to walk or cycle on their own to school and other activities.
331 children were killed or seriously injured on London’s road last year – a statistic which attracts none of the outrage or screaming headlines associated with knife crime.
On the roads nationally among teenage pedestrians in 2005: 51 teens aged 11-16 were killed and 1,268 seriously injured; and over 5,500 slightly injured. Add in deaths in cars and cyclists and approximately 133 teens die each year on our roads.
Traffic is the biggest single cause of accidental death for 12-16 year olds. In Britain in 2004, 151 car drivers aged 16-19 were killed.
About one quarter of the cyclists killed, and about one third of those injured, are children. Cycling accidents increase as children grow older and peak at around 16 years. To some extent, this reflects increased cycling as children grow older followed by a switch to motorised transport from the late teens onwards.
What’s more
Since 1985, the average distance children travelled as a car occupant has increased by 70%; the average distance walked has declined by 19%; and the average distance cycled has declined by 58%. Taking into account distance travelled, there are about 50 times more child cyclist deaths (0.55 deaths/10 million passenger miles; 0.32 to 0.89) and nearly 30 times more child pedestrian deaths (0.27 deaths; 0.20 to 0.35) than there are deaths to child car occupants (0.01 deaths; 0.007 to 0.014). In 2003, children from families without access to a vehicle walked twice the distance walked by children in families with access to two or more vehicles.
Nationally
The number of traffic police in Britain has fallen by 16 per cent in the past decade. With forces relying on speed cameras rather than patrols to keep roads safe, there are fewer police on the roads to attend crash scenes and file reports.
If the police and politicians were interested in saving lives there is a raft of measures which could be quickly taken massively to reduce deaths on the roads. But neither they nor the media have the slightest interest even in technological fixes, such as a system which could automatically reduce a vehicle's speed.
In reality Londoners, including teenagers, are far more likely to be injured or killed by a driver than by either a terrorist or a teenager with a knife. But the Metropolitan Police has always been a car supremacist force, very reluctant to enforce any traffic laws. Indeed:
Between 1980 and 2001 numbers of traffic police in London were slashed from 1063 to 646
Currently there are over 33,670 police officers in the Met of whom only 2% (690) work on traffic policing. More than three times the number of individuals were found guilty in court of traffic offences in London in 1984 (230,882) than in 2004 (71,661) There is reluctance by the police to prosecute drivers who injure pedestrians, in the absence of independent witnesses. London drivers are more likely to get away with speeding and other motoring offences than road users in other regions.
Pedestrians and cyclists are at the sharp end of this bigoted policing. Last year in London:
Serious injuries among cyclists rose by 6 per cent . This is attributed partly to the big increase in cycling, which has almost doubled in Greater London in the past seven years. Child deaths are down 28 per cent, but this is partly because fewer children are allowed to walk or cycle on their own to school and other activities.
331 children were killed or seriously injured on London’s road last year – a statistic which attracts none of the outrage or screaming headlines associated with knife crime.
On the roads nationally among teenage pedestrians in 2005: 51 teens aged 11-16 were killed and 1,268 seriously injured; and over 5,500 slightly injured. Add in deaths in cars and cyclists and approximately 133 teens die each year on our roads.
Traffic is the biggest single cause of accidental death for 12-16 year olds. In Britain in 2004, 151 car drivers aged 16-19 were killed.
About one quarter of the cyclists killed, and about one third of those injured, are children. Cycling accidents increase as children grow older and peak at around 16 years. To some extent, this reflects increased cycling as children grow older followed by a switch to motorised transport from the late teens onwards.
What’s more
Since 1985, the average distance children travelled as a car occupant has increased by 70%; the average distance walked has declined by 19%; and the average distance cycled has declined by 58%. Taking into account distance travelled, there are about 50 times more child cyclist deaths (0.55 deaths/10 million passenger miles; 0.32 to 0.89) and nearly 30 times more child pedestrian deaths (0.27 deaths; 0.20 to 0.35) than there are deaths to child car occupants (0.01 deaths; 0.007 to 0.014). In 2003, children from families without access to a vehicle walked twice the distance walked by children in families with access to two or more vehicles.
Nationally
The number of traffic police in Britain has fallen by 16 per cent in the past decade. With forces relying on speed cameras rather than patrols to keep roads safe, there are fewer police on the roads to attend crash scenes and file reports.
If the police and politicians were interested in saving lives there is a raft of measures which could be quickly taken massively to reduce deaths on the roads. But neither they nor the media have the slightest interest even in technological fixes, such as a system which could automatically reduce a vehicle's speed.
Saturday, 5 July 2008
The news
Two days after Lucinda Ferrier was killed by a lorry in Stoke Newington a woman cyclist was seriously injured after being hit by a lorry in Royal College Street, Camden Town:
Clothes and bicycle parts could be seen strewn across the street behind police cordons. A paramedic team arrived by helicopter and took the cyclist to Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel by ambulance. A police spokesman said the woman was in a “serious” condition last night. Camden Cycling Campaign member, John Chamberlain said, “Obviously we don’t know what happened but these junctions are notorious for these types of accidents where cyclists are proceeding straight on and lorries are turning left,” he said. “It again illustrates the vulnerability of cyclists particularly to heavy goods vehicles.
Boris continues to relax the rules:
Licensed taxis and private hire cars will be allowed to stop on red routes, the Mayor of London has announced. From 10pm to 6am any passenger needing to withdraw money to pay for their journey can ask their driver to stop near a cash machine on red routes for up to five minutes.
No one ever says that CCTV is unfair to bank robbers or muggers. But when it’s used against drivers who flout parking regulations…
Paul Watters from the AA said using CCTV to enforce parking regulations was not a completely fair system. "CCTV isn't particularly fair, it's only fair if drivers are warned that the CCTV is being issued and that the local authority is doing something about the problem that causes so many tickets to be issued," he said. Westminster Council said all money made from parking fines was used to finance transport projects such as the Golden Jubilee Bridges and the Bishop's Bridge. Councillor Danny Chalkley said: "As a local authority we are legally not allowed to make a profit from our parking services.”
Prize-winning climate change cartoons:
The cartoons bring home what global warming will mean: not a Costa Brava on the south coast but desertification, widespread hunger and, ultimately, our own destruction.
Shock horror – the rising price of fuel is encouraging people to drive less and to change to smaller cars.
Car dependency v. public transport:
Spending on the road network has risen by more than 60 per cent since 2002 while money devoted to railways has increased by less than 10 per cent. The Highways Agency has 36 large-scale road schemes under way, but with demand for rail travel booming, the only significant new rail line being planned for England is Crossrail.
Rocketing food costs: it's all down to biofuels:
Since April, all petrol and diesel in Britain has had to include 2.5% from biofuels. The EU has been considering raising that target to 10% by 2020, but is faced with mounting evidence that that will only push food prices higher. Biofuels have forced global food prices up by 75% - far more than previously estimated - according to a confidential World Bank report obtained by the Guardian.
Motorists routinely drive in a way that threatens the lives of others:
Devon and Cornwall Police said they were shocked by the results of Operation Vortex in November and March when about 2,000 drivers were stopped. More than 800 were caught for speeding - 90% of them driving faster than 90mph (145km/h). Police dealt with 322 motorists for using mobile phones.
British roads with the highest flow of maniacal risk-taking drivers:
A scenic route through a picturesque beauty area was named today as Britain's most dangerous road.Topping the risk list for accidents is the A537 Macclesfield to Buxton road in the Peak District, according to the ITV programme Police Camera Action. The programme worked with the European road safety organisation EuroRAP to analyse main roads by compiling the number of serious injuries against the volume of traffic.
Knife crime gets top news billing. Road violence is marginalised:
A 69-year-old woman has died and her great-granddaughter seriously injured in a crash involving two cars. Emergency crews were called to the B4529 in Cholstrey, near Leominster, Herefordshire, shortly before 2245 BST on Wednesday.
And
Two people have been killed in a pile-up which has closed part of the M6 motorway in Lancashire. Emergency services were called to the northbound carriageway between junctions 32 at Broughton and 33 at Galgate in the early hours. Police say at least four vehicles were involved including a van, a lorry and two cars. Several people were cut from wreckage. Four were taken to hospital - two of them suffering multiple injuries.
Clarkson culture:
The toothless
BBC Trust yesterday upheld the complaint, saying the show had sent out completely the wrong message about drink-driving, particularly to youngsters. Its report said: 'The committee considered the scenes carefully and felt that drinking while driving did involve the misuse of alcohol.'
Clarkson and May were filmed trying to reach the Magnetic North Pole in a pickup truck, ahead of Richard Hammond, who was in a sled pulled by dogs. During the race, the two men were seen drinking gin and tonic in the cab of the truck.
Top Gear presenter James May said the BBC Trust could "sod off"
Two London petitions:
The LCC petition against allowing motorbikes to use bus lanes is here.
And in Waltham Forest there's a campaign to Save the Waltham Forest Theatre
Clothes and bicycle parts could be seen strewn across the street behind police cordons. A paramedic team arrived by helicopter and took the cyclist to Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel by ambulance. A police spokesman said the woman was in a “serious” condition last night. Camden Cycling Campaign member, John Chamberlain said, “Obviously we don’t know what happened but these junctions are notorious for these types of accidents where cyclists are proceeding straight on and lorries are turning left,” he said. “It again illustrates the vulnerability of cyclists particularly to heavy goods vehicles.
Boris continues to relax the rules:
Licensed taxis and private hire cars will be allowed to stop on red routes, the Mayor of London has announced. From 10pm to 6am any passenger needing to withdraw money to pay for their journey can ask their driver to stop near a cash machine on red routes for up to five minutes.
No one ever says that CCTV is unfair to bank robbers or muggers. But when it’s used against drivers who flout parking regulations…
Paul Watters from the AA said using CCTV to enforce parking regulations was not a completely fair system. "CCTV isn't particularly fair, it's only fair if drivers are warned that the CCTV is being issued and that the local authority is doing something about the problem that causes so many tickets to be issued," he said. Westminster Council said all money made from parking fines was used to finance transport projects such as the Golden Jubilee Bridges and the Bishop's Bridge. Councillor Danny Chalkley said: "As a local authority we are legally not allowed to make a profit from our parking services.”
Prize-winning climate change cartoons:
The cartoons bring home what global warming will mean: not a Costa Brava on the south coast but desertification, widespread hunger and, ultimately, our own destruction.
Shock horror – the rising price of fuel is encouraging people to drive less and to change to smaller cars.
Car dependency v. public transport:
Spending on the road network has risen by more than 60 per cent since 2002 while money devoted to railways has increased by less than 10 per cent. The Highways Agency has 36 large-scale road schemes under way, but with demand for rail travel booming, the only significant new rail line being planned for England is Crossrail.
Rocketing food costs: it's all down to biofuels:
Since April, all petrol and diesel in Britain has had to include 2.5% from biofuels. The EU has been considering raising that target to 10% by 2020, but is faced with mounting evidence that that will only push food prices higher. Biofuels have forced global food prices up by 75% - far more than previously estimated - according to a confidential World Bank report obtained by the Guardian.
Motorists routinely drive in a way that threatens the lives of others:
Devon and Cornwall Police said they were shocked by the results of Operation Vortex in November and March when about 2,000 drivers were stopped. More than 800 were caught for speeding - 90% of them driving faster than 90mph (145km/h). Police dealt with 322 motorists for using mobile phones.
British roads with the highest flow of maniacal risk-taking drivers:
A scenic route through a picturesque beauty area was named today as Britain's most dangerous road.Topping the risk list for accidents is the A537 Macclesfield to Buxton road in the Peak District, according to the ITV programme Police Camera Action. The programme worked with the European road safety organisation EuroRAP to analyse main roads by compiling the number of serious injuries against the volume of traffic.
Knife crime gets top news billing. Road violence is marginalised:
A 69-year-old woman has died and her great-granddaughter seriously injured in a crash involving two cars. Emergency crews were called to the B4529 in Cholstrey, near Leominster, Herefordshire, shortly before 2245 BST on Wednesday.
And
Two people have been killed in a pile-up which has closed part of the M6 motorway in Lancashire. Emergency services were called to the northbound carriageway between junctions 32 at Broughton and 33 at Galgate in the early hours. Police say at least four vehicles were involved including a van, a lorry and two cars. Several people were cut from wreckage. Four were taken to hospital - two of them suffering multiple injuries.
Clarkson culture:
The toothless
BBC Trust yesterday upheld the complaint, saying the show had sent out completely the wrong message about drink-driving, particularly to youngsters. Its report said: 'The committee considered the scenes carefully and felt that drinking while driving did involve the misuse of alcohol.'
Clarkson and May were filmed trying to reach the Magnetic North Pole in a pickup truck, ahead of Richard Hammond, who was in a sled pulled by dogs. During the race, the two men were seen drinking gin and tonic in the cab of the truck.
Top Gear presenter James May said the BBC Trust could "sod off"
Two London petitions:
The LCC petition against allowing motorbikes to use bus lanes is here.
And in Waltham Forest there's a campaign to Save the Waltham Forest Theatre
Friday, 4 July 2008
Lea Bridge Road: the latest serious smash
Today:
A MAN was in critical condition and another described as "walking wounded" after they were involved in a car crash in the early hours of this morning.
The location of the crash is very close to where a pedestrian was run down and killed earlier this year.
A MAN was in critical condition and another described as "walking wounded" after they were involved in a car crash in the early hours of this morning.
The location of the crash is very close to where a pedestrian was run down and killed earlier this year.
"KEEP CLEAR"
This cycle lane is repeatedly obstructed by drivers who come down Howard Road E17 and halt in the KEEP CLEAR section of the carriageway on Forest Road when the lights are at red. In so doing they prevent cyclists from accessing the Advanced Stop Line.
Drivers do this because (i) they want to be sure of their position in the queue when the lights change to green (ii) the KEEP CLEAR sign on the road surface is advisory, not legally enforceable
(iii) these drivers have no consideration or awareness of cyclists, and no respect for cycle lanes, only concern for their own interests.
Anti-social behaviour. It's funny how that term is never applied to motorists.
Thursday, 3 July 2008
"Baby on board"
Baby on board it said in the rear window of this empty people carrier parked in a bay on High Road Leyton, obstructing the cycle lane.
And I suppose as a description of a driver's infantile self-absorption and inability to understand the needs of others, such as the safety and convenience of cyclists, that's a fair enough description of a certain sort of motorist.
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Alice in Waltham Forest
The Council's policy is to provide cycle gaps at all road closures to give cyclists an advantage over motor vehicles.
"But that's a fib," said Alice. "You shouldn't say ALL when you don't mean it."
"In the London Borough of Waltham Forest," said the Mad Hatter, "words mean whatever the council says they mean."
First two photos: Langthorne Road E11. No cycle access. A TfL recommended 'quiet route' for cyclists.
(Below) The road closure at the end of Southwell Grove Road E11, junction with High Road Leytonstone. No cycle access or cycle lane. This is a wholly pedestrianised area.
Below: from Southwell Grove Road looking towards High Road Leytonstone
(Below) Fillebrook Road E11 road closure, no cycle access to Grove Green Road. (Providing access here would have allowed cyclists on Grove Green Road turning left into Fairlop Road to by-pass the traffic lights at the adjacent junction.)
(Below) The other arm of the road closure on Fillebrook Road E11, no cycle access to Fairlop Road.
(Below) Junction of Drayton Road/Bulwer Road E11. No cycle access. This redesign prioritised car parking.
(Below) Wellesley Road closed at the junction with St Barnabas Road E17. No cycle access.
(Below) Rutland Road closed at the junction with Wellesley Road E17. No cycle access.
"But that's a fib," said Alice. "You shouldn't say ALL when you don't mean it."
"In the London Borough of Waltham Forest," said the Mad Hatter, "words mean whatever the council says they mean."
First two photos: Langthorne Road E11. No cycle access. A TfL recommended 'quiet route' for cyclists.
(Below) The road closure at the end of Southwell Grove Road E11, junction with High Road Leytonstone. No cycle access or cycle lane. This is a wholly pedestrianised area.
Below: from Southwell Grove Road looking towards High Road Leytonstone
(Below) Fillebrook Road E11 road closure, no cycle access to Grove Green Road. (Providing access here would have allowed cyclists on Grove Green Road turning left into Fairlop Road to by-pass the traffic lights at the adjacent junction.)
(Below) The other arm of the road closure on Fillebrook Road E11, no cycle access to Fairlop Road.
(Below) Junction of Drayton Road/Bulwer Road E11. No cycle access. This redesign prioritised car parking.
(Below) Wellesley Road closed at the junction with St Barnabas Road E17. No cycle access.
(Below) Rutland Road closed at the junction with Wellesley Road E17. No cycle access.
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