The Metropolis

Cycling is good, cycling is scary

Mike Pollitt | Wednesday 21 September, 2011 12:33

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@ClimateRush finds a #pollutionsolution for London's dir... on Twitpic

@Climaterush have just cleaned away some grime in the Rotherhithe tunnel to reveal a message encouraging people to cycle as a means of reducing pollution.

And that’s a good message. The problem of course is this:

“I was 20ft behind the bus so didn’t see what happened, just saw the bus suddenly stop and two cyclists behind bounce into each other (both unhurt). Then a girl screamed and I could see the poor guy lying halfway under the middle of the bus, his bike was stuck mangled under the front axle.”

That’s from konjin at the lfgss forum, who was anonymously quoted in the Standard, describing an accident in Aldwych yesterday.

The data: one cyclist a day was seriously injured in London in 2010. Almost ten a day were “slightly” injured. Ten people died (pdf figures here).

I would like to help the environment, reduce pollution, save money and get fit. I’m also a little bit scared. Should I be?

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