Coroner calls for ‘urgent research’ into grip on London cycle superhighways after motorcyclist’s death
‘There has been a failure to monitor grip levels,’ says coroner’s report
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URGENT research is needed into grip levels of London’s cycle superhighways following the death of a motorcyclist, according to coroner’s report.
Motorcyclist Milan Dokic, 49, sustained fatal injuries on losing control and hitting a bollard in rain on Battersea Park Road, at the junction with Forfar Road, at around 1pm on March 1 last year.
According to a coroner’s report issued to Transport for London, CCTV ‘clearly shows’ the bike losing traction on the non-segregated blue-coloured cycle superhighway 'CSH8', which runs from Wandsworth to Westminster.
The report by Inner West London assistant coroner Russell Caller says: ‘There is an inadequate system of determining grip levels of CSH8 and on other cycle superhighways and on other roads in London.
‘There has been a failure to monitor grip values on cycle superhighways in London.
‘Urgent research needs to be carried out on having a clear scientific way of determining grip values which can be applied to roadways in London.
‘Urgent research should be carried out into the adverse effects of having adjacent areas of road with very different grip values and, subject to such research, remedial response is needed once that research has been carried out.’
It comes after a separate pre-inquest report said a collision investigator had found the surface where Mr Dokic crashed ‘offers a much lower grip than the conventional road surface with a skid resistance value of 56.3 compared to the road surface of 77.05’.
The subsequent investigation concluded Mr Dokic’s death was accidental and contributed to by neglect, the Wandsworth Guardian reports.
Leon Daniels, TfL’s managing director of surface transport, told the newspaper: “Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Milan Dokic. We are now reviewing the coroner’s report and taking action to address all of the points raised.
“All sections of cycle superhighways 7 and 8 on main roads, which had signs of wear, have been resurfaced this year.
“We have also completed a full survey of all blue cycle superhighways and will repeat surveys at regular intervals on our roads."
