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This article was published on September 8th, 2016
A woman has been highlighting the dangers of cycling in city centres after she was involved in an accident which left her with a broken back. She sustained a severe spinal injury after being involved in a road traffic accident with a car on her way home from work.
Since her accident she has been very vocal about the quality and lack of cycle paths in her town. She feels there is a lack of safe cycling infrastructure which means cyclist don’t feel confident enough to cycle to and from work.
She has called for more to be done to target vehicles who are illegally parked in cycle lanes, forcing cyclists out into busy traffic.
“Sometimes I cycle on the pavements if I feel unsafe with the amount of traffic, especially during the morning rush hour,” she said. “Buses are very challenging as they just pull out and expect you to stop.
“Pedestrians tend to forget about cycle lanes and step into the road in front of you looking the other way.”
It is not known whether she will ever fully recover from the incident:
“I have suffered two breaks in my back,”
“I also have damaged my ribs which is excruciating, plus numerous grazes and bruises on my lower body.
“I’m recovering slowly and painfully. I have to wear a back brace until the end of September, followed by physiotherapy. I’m unsure what long term damage or impact there will be. In the short term I have a lack of confidence in cycling again. There’s a lack of freedom to enjoy the summer as I’m more or less housebound. I am a very active person.”
A local council spokesperson said:
“As with many town centres, Ipswich has at its centre a historic pattern of narrow streets which often makes it difficult to accommodate pedestrians, bikes, buses and cars.
“There are some cycle lanes, including two contraflow lanes, and some dual-use pedestrian/cycle lanes, but links into the town centre are variable.
“We have a reasonably good link from the east side of Ipswich, but anyone cycling in along the Wherstead Road is with the road traffic all the way.”
If you have been injured in a cycling accident and it wasn’t your fault, we can help you make a claim so that you receive the full cycling accident compensation you deserve.
We offer a free initial interview in order to review your specific circumstances and assess the viability of your personal injury claim.
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