A cyclist who was knocked unconscious in a hit-and-run collision as he cycled to work has written to the chairman of Transport for London (TfL) – London Mayor Boris Johnson – asking him to make available CCTV footage of road traffic incidents to those injured.
Rear Admiral Mark Beverstock, 51, was catapulted into the air and sustained a fractured shoulder in the incident at Vauxhall Cross in south London at around 7am on 3 July.
He was taken to A&E at St Thomas’s Hospital – and has tried to obtain CCTV footage of the incident, after the Metropolitan Police advised him they had closed the file because he did not have any evidence of the vehicle which collided with him, including the van’s licence plate registration number.
However, when he approached TfL for CCTV footage, he was told that only recordings of fatal accidents were kept and released for the purposes of police evidence.
He also discovered that at Vauxhall Cross and other junctions, CCTV is a live feed and is not usually recorded unless viewed by a camera operator, the Evening Standard reports.
A spokesman for TfL said:
“When the police and other law enforcement agencies request CCTV footage from TfL, we will always help where we can and release footage and data.
“We do not have any plans for TfL’s traffic monitoring cameras – used to keep London’s roads moving – to record footage on a continuous basis.”
Mr Beverstock – who is an assistant chief of defence staff and ex-president of the Royal Navy cycling association – said:
“The bottom line is there is someone out there who has got away with it.
“There is no deterrent at all for these drivers if they are not going to be brought to justice.”
Mr Beverstock was saved from more serious injury by another cyclist who dragged him to safety.
He added that recording and releasing CCTV footage of incidents would hep reduce and increasing number of hit-and-run accidents on London’s roads – and address London’s “woeful” prosecution for hit-and-run road accidents.
The Evening Standard revealed in July that a total of 1,014 cyclists and 1,212 pedestrians had been injured by hit-and-run drivers – and a total of two cyclists and four pedestrians were killed.
A spokesman for the Met Police said:
“The Metropolitan Police is currently looking into this incident to ensure a full and proportionate investigation is undertaken in relation to this serious personal injury collision.”
Duncan Lewis Personal Injury Solicitors – No win no fee Cycle Accident Claims
Duncan Lewis personal injury solicitors can advise cyclists and other road users injured in road traffic accidents on how to make a no win no fee claim for compensation if the accident was caused by negligence.
daaCycle accident claims have to be made within three years of injury – and children can claim compensation for road traffic accident injuries up to the age of 21.
A police report usually has to be made –and claims in the civil court against a negligent road user can also be made once a conviction is obtained.
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