Cyclist Death Ruled "Accidental"

Last April, 29-year old Rebecca Goosen was cycling to work when she was hit by a cement mixer at the junction of Old Street and Goswell Road in Farringdon. The trainee architect died in hospital an hour later.

This week a coroner returned a verdict of accidental death, ruling that the cyclist was caught in a blind spot, and that the vehicle's driver was not to blame. The accident, which happened a month after TfL's cycle safety campaign was launched, was the third death attributed to cement mixers hitting cyclists since 2006, yet officials claim that additional safety measures, such as proximity sensors, are too expensive to fit and wouldn't be foolproof.

The onus once again seems to be placed upon cyclists to ensure their own safety, and with cycling expected to increase in coming years -- particularly when the hire-bikes are launched -- accidents could become more common.

Like a number of other cyclists killed on our streets, the site of Ms. Goosen's fatal accident has been commemorated by a ghost bike.