Today on my route home through Islington's side streets, a road off to the side was blocked off with
police tape and a police car parked across the intersection. The accident investigation team was
there, taking pictures -a bmx bike lay on its side across the middle of the road and another bike
was abandoned at the side. Undoubtedly a serious, very likely fatal, collision had taken place
involving at least one of these cyclists and a passing motor vehicle.
Quite often, passing that intersection on the way home, I've encountered a small group of teenagers
larking about on their bikes. Usually I've thought of them as a bit of a nuisance, using the road as
a playground, liable to turn in circles or swerve suddenly and unpredictably rather than cycling in
any purposeful manner. Of course, even in the evening they have no lights and no reflective
clothing. But, these are relatively quiet side streets. It saddens me now, though, to think it
possible if not likely someone from this group was involved in this incident. In any event, some
family must surely be grieving tonight, and I somehow doubt that group will be larking about in the
road again in quite the same way anytime soon.
Of course, larking about in the road is foolishness. Maybe whoever was involved in this wasn't
actually larking about at the time. Whatever, it is a very great pity that in what should be quiet
residential streets, kids simply can't be kids once they venture onto the road. My own home is in a
20mph zone, with 'junction treatment' and speed bumps all the way down, it's narrower than the
street where the accident happened - and probably busier - and still some drivers drive down it at
reckless speeds. How sad it is that when (some) people get behind the wheel, they seem to leave
behind all sense of care or concern for other human beings - particularly those without another
fume-emitting tin box around them to protect them in the event of a collision. I just wonder what it
will take to make them _want_ to drive in residential areas at a speed and in a manner that is
appropriate for residential areas - that is considerate of the needs of children, cyclists, the
elderly etc.?
Rich