There has been a serious collision on the Uxbridge Road between a 46 year old on a bike and a skip lorry. They collided at around 4:45PM on Wednesday 9th April whilst the skip lorry was turning left from Uxbridge Road into the Askew Road. According to the Evening Standard the cyclist was trapped under the lorry for an hour and has received life changing injuries to their chest and legs. Other eyewitness accounts stress a high risk this collision could have been fatal, and we hope the cyclist is able to recover as fully as possible from their injuries. There have been three other serious collisions involving cyclists receiving similar injuries since 1999, and in the past five years we have seen serious injuries at one location or another along the Uxbridge Road. The junction currently has no cycling facilities that prevent such a left hook from having such disastrous consequences.
UPDATE: Collision – A4020 Uxbridge Rd (W12) remains in all directions jct Askew Rd. Westbound Q’s to Sheppard Bush. pic.twitter.com/5y8f8h6ZvQ
— TfL Traffic News (@TfLTrafficNews) April 9, 2014
This section of the Uxbridge Road sees around 3000 cycle journeys per day passing along it, and around 500 movements per day of the kind of vehicle like the skip lorry or larger that present a major danger to vulnerable road users (pedestrians and cyclists). There are many cyclists who avoid this road because it is considered too dangerous. It presents a barrier to increasing the numbers who cycle.
Thinking of the poor cyclist at Askew road/Uxbridge road. Had been warned to avoid this junction and so glad I go a different way #cycle
— Aine Henley (@Trillionblue) April 9, 2014
Our thoughts are with the rider of the bike and their family. We remain concerned that there are too many junctions without safe space for cycling in the borough and beyond, and encourage everyone to look at our Space for Cycling campaign to push for change.