Eilidh Cairns death, the driver had incorrectly adjusted mirrors, failed an eye test, overtook the cyclist in a road not wide enough to do so [1]
Prominent artist death, the junction is badly designed and was on a blacklist but funds not allocated, the junction forced HGV drivers to watch the wrong side of their vehicle, leaving them blind to cyclists... in this case the truck drove over the cyclist without even seeing her [2]
Another junction in which 2 (two) cyclists died in a month due to the confusing design and narrow spaces [3]
Cyclist killed after driver is on the phone [4]
HGV Driver jailed for killing a cyclist after previously being banned from driving 5 times [5]
This was the first page of hits for "HGV cyclist death" that I found.
And there's an elephant somewhere? It's far more likely to be junction design, unenforced laws on driver behaviour, and a very very low standard applied by HGV contractors for their drivers.
Edit: I fell for the new troll account. I apologise to HN, but I bit before I realised it was a troll account and the overwhelming evidence is the opposite of what was claimed.
"It's true that some accidents are caused by cyclist's own poor judgement and more must be done to educate cyclists about the risks of pulling up into the blind spots of large vehicles. We are planning a campaign to raise awareness of these risks, and we are working closely with TFL to erect warning signs at accident blackspots to discourage cyclists from putting themselves at risk," said no cycling safety campaigner EVER.
Just because I don't agree with the line that all cyclists are angels and drivers should jump out of their way doesn't make me a troll and I set up a throw-away account because I don't much fancy getting targeted by an online lynch-mob.
Obviously accidents taken in aggregate are not 100% the fault of any single side. I would challenge your "many" statement, especially when you link to an article about one accident. Do you have other citations or sources that indicate this?
But yes, everyone needs to be careful. However, the important distinction is that a careless cyclist is a danger primarily to themselves, while a careless motor vehicle operator is a danger to others on the road more than to themselves.
Yeah, I must admit that pretty much all cyclists and pedestrians alike have no idea about what's happening in their surrounding. But as a cyclist who's always aware (which is natural once you neared death enough times) I must say that oftentime there is absolutely no care about cyclist (or even pedestrians really) and you really have to freestyle it in the streets.
What do you do, cycle on a road where cars drive insanely fast and pay absolutely no attention to you, cycle on the busy sidewalk where you slalom between elders and kids that have absolutely no idea you're coming behind them, or cycle on the tramway tracks? The safest option for you and others is the most illegal one, and the most dangerous option is the one you're enforced to use.
