I wear three hats (and a helmet) as a London cycling commuter and personal injury lawyer.
First, the lawyer bit. My job includes representing cyclists (or their families) who have been killed or injured in accidents caused -invariably -by a car, taxi, lorry or bus driver on London's streets.
Second, I am an avid cyclist and have biked to work through those streets every day for over 10 years. I love the exercise and hate the tube.
The lawyer bit can interfere with the cyclist bit - I know how easy it is for a car door carelessly opened or a lorry turning left at a junction to cause serious - sometimes devastating - injuries, so I try to leave the accidents in the office when I get on the bike. But forewarned is forearmed and I do now try to cycle more cautiously without getting too hesitant: defensive-aggressive if you will.
Which brings me to hat # 3. I am on the executive of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, an organisation that campaigns for the rights of accident victims. Those rights are being rapidly eroded by current government policy (of which more later), but for cyclists that means campaigning for improved road safety and for access to justice following injury.
Put those hats together and I hope to have something interesting to say in this blog.
The usual topics, and some others, spring to mind:
should I wear a cycling helmet? What if I don't?
Should I have several flashing lights on (front and back) at night?
Why is it wise to bring a claim before April 2013?
Is it so wrong to run a red light if turning left?
If I can't undertake or overtake stationary vehicles what's the point?
What happens if I am in an accident?
What if it was (partly) my fault?
Why aren't London cyclists better protected from lorries at junctions?
How safe is a Boris bike?
What is Boris doing about cyclist safety?
Is it really not insane to take up cycling in London?
Should my kids be allowed out on the road?
If I have an accident is it worth claiming? What would I claim for?
Are there any London accident black spots I should avoid?
What are the common causes of cyclist accidents?
Next instalment will cover one of these topics.
Any requests gratefully considered (apart from that one..).
