Coroner calls for cycle lane review after motorcyclist death

A coroner has said there needs to be urgent research into the levels of grip on London’s cycle superhighways following the death of a motorcyclist in Battersea.

Assistant Coroner for Inner West London, Russell Caller, issued a report to Transport for London (TfL) following a pre-inquest review into Milan Dokic’s death on March 1 last year.

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Dokic, 49, was killed when he lost control in the rain while riding on Battersea Park Road. The tested surface was shown to offer 27% less grip than a standard road. The investigation Mr Dokic’s death was accidental, but had been contributed to by neglect of the road surface.

Mr Caller’s report said: “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. [And] 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.”

TfL’s managing director of surface transport, Leon Daniels, told the Wandsworth Guardian: “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.”

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