Deaths of cyclists in London spark call for road safety

Six cyclists have been killed on London’s roads in the last two weeks.

The most recent incident happened on Monday (18 November) when a cyclist was killed in a collision with a lorry in Camberwell, south-east London.

The cyclist, who has not been named but is believed to be in his 60s, died at the scene.

This is the sixth cycling fatality on London's roads in two weeks, prompting calls for London mayor Boris Johnson to address road safety concerns.

Brian Holt, 62; Francis Golding, 69; Roger William De Klerk, 43; Venera Minakhmetova, 24, and a 21-year-old man from St John's Wood who is yet to be named are the five other cyclists who died between Tuesday 5 November and 13 November.

The total number of cyclists killed so far in crashes in London this year amounts to 14, which is the same as the figure for the whole of 2012.

Police officers have recently provided road safety advice to cyclists and lorry drivers in areas throughout London and encouraged cyclists to wear a helmet and a high-visibility jacket.

Speaking to BBC London after the latest fatality, chief executive of the London Cycling Campaign, Ashok Sinha, called on Mayor Boris Johnson to address the issue of safety of cyclists "as a matter of urgency".

"We are in a situation where we have seen an unprecedented number of deaths in such a short period of time.

"In dangerous junctions in London safety has to be prioritised even if it means adding a few seconds to the journey times. Junctions are the greatest danger points in London."