Sign up to our three pedal pledge to reduce accidents in the cyclists’ borough

The Gazette has launched its Hackney Cycle Safe campaign to raise awareness of road safety and reduce the number of accidents in the borough with the highest number of cyclists in London.

The plea comes after the number of cyclists to die in Hackney’s streets over the past year rose to three.

Hackney Cycle Safe aims to bring the work of different organisations together, calling on all road users to take joint responsibility for the wellbeing of the borough’s many cyclists.

It asks cyclists, motorists and lorry drivers to agree to a list of three ‘pedal pledges’ – achievable actions that will help to keep our cyclists safe.

Hackney has more cyclists than any other borough in the capital, with residents making four times as many trips by bike than the average Londoner.

Many will remain safe on the roads. But the latest figures from Hackney Council show there were 197 collisions involving cyclists in Hackney in 2009 and 196 in 2008.

Family and friends of Hackney charity worker Shivon Watson were left devastated when she died after a collision with a tipper truck on Victoria Park roundabout last March.

Ms Watson, 28, who was also a fashion designer and a singer, was trapped between the lorry and railings as they both turned left.

Then in August last year, Arina Romanova, originally from Latvia, was knocked down in an accident with a black taxi in Graham Road, Dalston, at the junction with Navarino Road.She was on her way to work in Liverpool Street on a friend’s blue fold-up bike.

Ms Romanov, 24, of Amhurst Road, died at the Royal London Hospital two weeks later.

And this week came the sad news that 28-year-old Daniel Cox, the cyclist seriously injured in a collision with a lorry at Dalston Junction last Wednesday evening, (Feb 2) had died on Friday.

Charlie Lloyd, London Cycling Campaign cycling development officer, said: “London Cycling Campaign and Hackney Cyclists would definitely support the Gazette in any campaign to raise awareness and work for solutions.”

Sign up to our ‘pedal pledge’ and support Hackney Cycle Safe at www.hackneygazette.co.uk.