Boris’ standard statistic

I was watching BBC News yesterday morning, and Boris Johnson was on speaking about the 5 cycling deaths we have had on London’s roads in only 9 days!

He pulled out his standard statistic which goes something like this

Year on year cycle deaths are down. Cycling numbers are also up, which means it is better.

This isn’t a case of being better, it doesn’t matter if it’s gone done and it certainly doesn’t matter if numbers are up.

The point is that people are dying on our streets. Dying on their way to work. dying on their way home.

These people are dying and nothing is being done!

Our streets are built on 1960’s philosophy of car is king, everyone uses them to get everywhere.

That isn’t the case, our roads need to be re-designed to suit the needs of everyone that travels on them. To keep everyone safe and to allow all road users to get to their destination without fearing their life when they get to a certain junction.

I was at the vigil the other day for Venera Minakhmetova. The LCC where going to attempt to have 2 minutes silence for those that had recently died. Unfortunately the motorists we where preventing from continuing their journeys didn’t appreciate it and leant on their horns, this ruined the silence. Of course, these motorists only days before probably took 2 minutes out of their day to remember our fallen war heroes. But as soon as they get behind the wheel, seem to become different people and forget about others.

Boris needs to up his game, things have got to change, yes it will cost money, yes it will change how some people use our roads but we need to build a sustainable city for everyone to use what ever mode of transport they use. Other cities around the world are host to many cyclists and easily get through the year with zero cycling fatalities, why can’t London be the same?


5 thoughts on “Boris’ standard statistic

  1. It is interesting that despite all the stuff in the news there are still plenty of cyclists I see on my cycle commute that continue to take stupid risks, and for what a few extra seconds.

    Statistics can paint a interesting picture. Looking at the official stats released from the Met, cycle fatalities account for very few of the total road based fatalities in London. Over 50% of road fatalities are pedestrians, 40% people in motorised vehicles (car, van, taxi, motorbikes, etc) and 10% of fatalities are cyclists.

    While any fatality is a tragedy I don’t believe either “side” of the debate can claim to be the innocent victim in all this.

  2. If 5 people had died in a train accidents would anyone start criticising the victims? Most cycling deaths are the entirely avoidable killing of innocent victims by motorists and it is about time people stop the abnoxious practice of victim-blaming.

  3. It is well Known that the more cyclists there are the safer cycling becomes, so I fall in deaths does not mean than safety strategies are working. To claim they are when questioned about the recent deaths is sick!

  4. brilliant article and nice way of putting it, i will quote “Our streets are built on 1960′s philosophy of car is king, everyone uses them to get everywhere” next time a car driver shouts at me to get out of their way!

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