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Any cyclist who does not wear a crash helmet, as I did not, is showing some negligence towards themselves. No-one deserves to die for it, or even scar their head!

The brutal truth is, it was, however fractionally, partially this poor lad at fault, (as it was mine) for not wearing a helmet.

- John, Hackney, 14/08/2010 14:55
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My heart is hurting yet again...

This insane world, where we have health and safety issues with children using drawing pins, or playing conkers! Yet this government and our collective blinkered outlooks allow this sort of carnage to happen our roads at the rate of 7 people dead every day.

Any one of us could be next yet but because it hasn't yet, we don't give a t*ss. Well, it happened to my 25 year old son, on his bike, riding impeccably, then, that rushing transit van doing 60 mph into his back, no chance, and our lives effectively ended too.

It has to stop.

- Dave, Reading, 17/03/2010 14:08
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Man, I miss you Haris. This world is truely a sadder place without you. I can't believe it ended like that. You touched so many lives and will never be forgotten. Thanks for the memories and the laughs. And the triffle xx

- Jane Doe, London, 12/03/2010 12:55
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Haris,

I am ever so thankful to have shared some great moments with you - but only wish that there were many more to come. I take my hat off to you, it was always a pleasure sharing a joke, you could crack me up and had a great zest for life.

Such a tragedy, what I hope for most is that your family pull through, you were definitely a bright spark and you will never be forgotten.

All my love, God Bless x x

- Mike E., London, 11/03/2010 21:50
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RIP Haris x

- Raj, Bromley, 11/03/2010 21:12
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Some cyclists jump red lights, agreed. Difference: they won't kill anyone else if they hit something, and most of the time, they are doing it for their own safety, to get ahead of the traffic before they are mown down by the impatient idiots behind them. I know, because I've been one of them - however I now make a point of not doing so to prevent giving the minority of petty irritating whining drivers an excuse for their arrogant own-the-road behaviour against cyclists: so when a car driver has to wait at the lights while I get up to speed, it's because I'm obeying the law, alright?

When all car drivers are saints, they'll have a right to criticise a few breaches of the law by cyclists. And as posted elsewhere, car drivers do not pay for roads, it is Vehicle Excise Duty, not road tax. And the great majority of cyclists are also car users, for pity's sake! We just have a more interesting life and choose a healthier, more sustainable method of transport when we can...

I have never been involved in any accident with a car (three now) where a helmet would have made any difference had my head come into contact with the 1 tonne of metal that pulled out in front of me. Wearing a crash helmet in a car isn't compulsory either, but would likely save a few drivers lives a year. Why isn't that comment made every time a driver is killed in an accident?! "Mr Smith was killed when he crossed the central reservation. He wasn't wearing a crash helmet at the time."

- Mike Wall, Basingstoke, Hampshire, 11/03/2010 14:41
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I just found out an hour ago that someone i know was killed. She died after being hit by a vehicle yesterday; some are saying a truck i don't have the full details. A musician, performer and fashion designer. She was such a beautiful talented young girl. RIP.

- Ram, London, 11/03/2010 14:28
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eastender, someone I loved very much is dead. Your glee at his death is beneath contempt. This website carries so much hatred of people who are simply trying to get to work

- Claire Burton, SE2, 11/03/2010 11:19
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I ride a scooter in to work, and yesterday morning a massive lorry pushed me out of the way forcing me into another lane. I could easily have been another statistic.

- Mike O, London, 11/03/2010 09:19
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Get all Lorries to make their deliveries in the night hours, pedestrianism the London streets and move everyone on to public transport.
Lesley, Hastings, is correct do your research, when Australia made it compulsory to wear an helmet their hospitals were full, now they are thinking of changing the law back as its costing a fortune.

- Lee, Hayes middlesex, 11/03/2010 08:04
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I'll remember you forever! Rest in peace mate xx

- Luke Battersby, guildford, 11/03/2010 02:38
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It was a pleasure to meet you! RIP bro

- Asif Khan, United Kingdom, 11/03/2010 01:34
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i am a student at kings and i cannot begin to tell u about the grief that has overcome us all. he was an amazingly funny guy who had the world at his feet. and the fact that it happened right outside is an inconsolable tragedy. he will forever be in the heart of us, whether we knew him or not. he is 1 of us and he will never b forgotten, RIP . xxxxxxxxxxx

- Sk, london, 11/03/2010 00:51
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a tragic loss. he would have made an amazing doctor.
r.i.p and condolences to his friends and family

- Anon, here and there, 11/03/2010 00:29
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I had just come out of Guys with my wife , we were heading in the direction of the accident , we saw someone lying in the road with a red blanket completely over them and a mangles up bike. I said to my wife that some poor soul had dies , she was in shock because she had never seen anything like it. The tipper truck was nowhere to be seen.

- Ray, Bermondsey, 10/03/2010 23:47
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@ Eastender - I really hope your not a driver as with views like that it's worrying to think you could be in charge of a ton of metal near me. Car drivers aren't saints as I see plenty on phones, speeding, jumping red lights and blocking box junctions each day.

@ Mat - bike lanes aren't always a good thing. Where do they normally lead? Yep up the left of the road which then encourages people to blindly follow them thinking that they are "safe" because they are on a tiny strip of green paint?

This is a very unfortunate accident but unless we actually get a witness jumping to conclusions about who to blame is pointless.

- Mark, London, 10/03/2010 23:41
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Dear All,

I knew this young man and feel saddened by the loss of an amazing young and talented individual who had the world at his feet.

Lets all keep our opinions to ourselves as to who was at fault.

Someone has lost a son
Someone has lost a brother
Someone has lost a partner
and many have lost an amazing friend.

The world is a sadder place, lets all spare a thought for all those who have lost someone special.

Thank you

- Dr R, London, 10/03/2010 22:00
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To all those out there making these insensitive suggestions that it was the cyclists fault, take a look at streetview on google maps. The cyclist was on Weston Street (the major road) crossing Snowsfields (the minor). The lorry probably didn't stop at the junction when he should have. What a terrible loss.
R.I.P. x

- Laurence, London, 10/03/2010 21:17
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I arrived at the accident with my daughter in a taxi just after it happened. We got out to walk to Guy's Hospital as we were so close. Then we saw the cyclist. I started over to try to help and asked a bystander if an ambulance had been called. When I got closer I saw there was nothing to be done. It was a terrible thing to happen to anyone, especially a young man in his prime, with so much to give to the world. My heart goes out to his friends and family, deprived of their loved one. I drive a lorry and know the difficulties, and I also have seen cyclists driving without care and attention, but surely if we all took the time to drive slowly, carefully, and think of the other road users, lives could be spared. No one can possibly think this should ever happen. What a waste of a young, productive life!

- Hgv Mother, London, uk, 10/03/2010 16:33
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Did the cyclist collide with the tipper truck or vice versa, What colour clothing was being worn by said cyclist? What were the conditions at the time. Did the truck driver get breathalised?

- Tony, Hove England, 10/03/2010 16:31
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Very sad!
RiP

Eastender - grow up young boy, attitudes like that will not change anything

I was nearly knocked off my bike 2 weeks ago by a man texting whilst driving. i banged his window which shook him up and he tried to run me over. so i pulled over and he came out the car explaining how "all cyclists shouldn't be on the road, they are all a danger and they all jump lights swerving everywhere" and that "annoyed him".

Great attitude, i wonder how he would have felt if he had knocked me off and killed me, wonder how well he would have slept thinking when he met my partner, son and parents.

you have to be the bigger man, behind a wheel or on a bike. it's time people grew up.

- Pip, London, 10/03/2010 16:26
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Mike, London, as a medical professional I am well aware of the facts regarding cycle helmets. There is no evidence to show that cycle helmets make cyclists safer, and in fact, there, is plenty of evidence to show that helmets can in fact make certain injuries, such as rotational head injuries worse, as they make the wearer more likely to injure their head due to the increased surface area. Cyclists wearing helmets are also more likely to be involved in an accident, as research has shown that motorists give them less room, and they are also more likely to take risks while cycling due to the perceived extra safety. Perhaps you should do some research yourself, I suggest you do a bit of googling on the subject. You might learn something.

- Lesley, Hastings, UK, 10/03/2010 16:24
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In response to Eastender:

Someone has died and you feel fit to assume it was their fault? How callous can you be? As for your comments re paying to use the road - road tax doesn't exist. It's VED, or 'car tax'. Motorists do not pay for the roads, we all do, via general taxation. Road tax finally died in 1937, says DVLA. Paying Vehicle Excise Duty gives no "right to the road" for motorists (or car-owning cyclists).

- James, London, 10/03/2010 16:06
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yeyeyeye. only if cyclists can start reading traffic signs and lights!!! stop moaning about other road users who actually paid to use public roads, you obey the LAW and traffic lights. then lets see if there are so many fatalities.

- Eastender, london, 10/03/2010 15:19
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After spending many years riding through London traffic the one thing which keeps shocking me is the lack of patience. As cyclists jump red lights, and motorised vehicles squeeze through gaps that don't exist at pace and all for what?

A few seconds earlier to work? One more delivery?

Most on the roads...in all guises, think much about the immediacy of their situation and nothing of the consequences of their actions.

Two cyclist dead in two days beneath the wheels of lorries, maybe the riders were in the wrong road positions, maybe the drivers were observing their surroundings poorly and driving inappropriately. No one should have to pay the cost of some more consideration or for a momentary lifting off the throttle and holding back, with their lives.

Are those few seconds really worth it?

Rest in peace, and with the wind at you back may the peaceful roads of wherever you now are be paved with calm and shared free from haste.

- Pete, London, 10/03/2010 15:14
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It doesn't matter who was at fault, when a bicycle (or pedestrian) takes on a lorry, or when a lorry takes on a bicycle (or pedestrian), the result is a foregone conclusion.

The 10 ton monster will ALWAYS win.

This is why the law will change to recognise that irrespective of fault, the operator of the heavier vehicle will always assume financial responsibility.

Most cyclists have been bullied by cowards in cars/vans/buses/lorries, and it seems that most pedestrians have tales to tell about cyclists.

Recognising the disparity in law might bring some responsibility to those who drive potentially lethal machines around London's streets. One day, "Sorry mate, I didn't see you" won't be an acceptable excuse for killing someone.

- George, London, 10/03/2010 15:10
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The mention of a lack of cycling helmet is spurious and insulting. A cycling helmet offers scant protection from a tipper truck.

- Bippy, London, UK, 10/03/2010 14:59
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Helmets do save lives, Lesley fall off your bike at 12mph and hit your head on the road, and good chance you will die. It doesnt take much to crack open your skull when your head hits the road. Before posting know your facts.

- Mike, London, 10/03/2010 14:52
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Somebody had the right of way and one of them did not give way to the other. The law would seem to be adequate.

- Bj, East London, 10/03/2010 14:38
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I cycled for many years around london and encountered many reckless and bad drivers but also i observed the dangerous behaviour of many cyclists. Before everyone gets judgemental on whose fault it is lets hear all the facts. When i cycle i always assume that everyone else i.e. pedestrians, lorry drivers, bus drivers even other cyclists, are idiots and i cycle in a manner to reflect that.

- Mark Taylor, Dronfield, England, 10/03/2010 14:38
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This is tragic, as any road death is.

But London is a congested metropolis in which bicycles and lorries share roads. Accidents do happen. We should stop looking to blame lorries/cyclists/road signs/speed limits. There will have been a reason this accident happened and every case should be judged on its own circumstances without calls to change laws. We have enough laws as it is!!!

- Al, London, 10/03/2010 14:12
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where are the BIKE LANES?
I have been to Berlin, not as big as London, but they have proper bike lanes everywhere. London, such a big city, big roads and you only have a few roads with bike lanes and most of the time you cannot access them properly.
I have been cycling to work for the last 4 years and I have been already knocked down TWICE by lorries. TFL & The Government is trying to promote cycling, but what are they actuall doing about it? Most of people I asked why are they not cycling they have answerd me "it`s too dangerous". BUILD PROPER BIKE LANES EVERYWHERE IN THE CITY AND YOU`LL SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL START CYCLING SAFELY. WE NEED BIKE LANES

- Mat, London, 10/03/2010 13:59
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As a fellow cyclist my observations on these type of vehicle is that they are often driven at high speeds and recklessly. Most road traffic does not bother me because if you cycle within the law the majority of other road users respect that, but not the tipper truck drivers.

RIP

- Paddy J, London, 10/03/2010 13:59
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This is so sad, just two weeks ago someone else died on Tower Bridge ROad - Something needs to be done to safe guard cyclists.

- Louise, London SE1, 10/03/2010 13:39
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Let's please not turn this into an "All-cyclists-deserve-what-they-get-They're-a-law-unto-themselves" message board this time. This article appears monthly these days with just a different cyclist's name. It's just another tragedy. And we should be gratious enough to simply respect his familys' loss.

- Simon, LDN

Very well put may he RIP, and condolences to his friends and family.

We can all slag off the cyclists in another relevant article when it appears, please NOT in this comments section

- P Staker, London, 10/03/2010 13:33
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It is absolutely shocking that these lorries are allowed to use small back streets like these. Tipper trucks are death on wheels for cyclists. You should at least feel safe in the back streets. The law must change now

- Michael, London, 10/03/2010 13:24
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There was another fatality today, the third lorry/cyclist death this year. There were 9 in the whole of last year, so it appears to be getting worse.

- Tom, London, UK, 10/03/2010 13:23
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Another tragic and unnecessary death on London's roads. With so many tipper lorries and trucks being driven recklessly this carnage is set to continue. This morning in Hackney, a female cyclist lost her life in a collision with a truck at the Victoria Park Road roundabout. The fact that he wasn't wearing a helmet is totally and utterly irrelevant. Cycle helmets were designed for off road use, at speeds of less than 12 mph and not for collisions with motoristed vehicles. Does anyone really think a bit of polystyrene encased in plastic would have made the slightest difference to this tragedy? If you do, you need your head examining.

- Lesley, Hastings, UK, 10/03/2010 13:22
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Let's please not turn this into an "All-cyclists-deserve-what-they-get-They're-a-law-unto-themselves" message board this time. This article appears monthly these days with just a different cyclist's name. It's just another tragedy. And we should be gratious enough to simply respect his familys' loss.

- Simon, LDN, 10/03/2010 13:18
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A helmet wouldn't have made any difference in this case.

- Eastender, London, 10/03/2010 13:03
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