File:Olympic lane junction Eastway - Ruckholt Road - Homerton Road. (7698182884).jpg

This is NOT the exact junction at which a cyclist was killed when in collision with a Stagecoach Enviro 400 bus at 7.40pm last evening. (it is about 70 metres away under the A12 flyover) We do not know yet the circumstances of the incident which occurred at the sharp 180 degree turn between Eastway and the westbound sliproad onto the A12, which is controlled by lights for pedestrians and vehicles. However it is absurd for Bradley Wiggins to use this tragic incident to advocate the compulsory use of helmets for cyclists. Since most fatal accidents involving vehicles result in the deaths of pedestrans, Wiggins ought to be advocatating all people on foot wear helmets. He should stick to what he does best, wearing sideburns and winning cycle races, not pontificating about helmets. Crashes are par for the course for racing cyclists, they are not for people going to work or shopping. He is talking nonsense. BBC report here with photo

The problem I suspect is that for the olympics the traffic flow in Eastway (eastern section) has been REVERSED on one carriageway during the Games, so that there is now TWO WAY traffic where it was only ONE way before allowing vehicles exiting the press and media centre to return to the A12 interchange. This does not excuse jumping lights (if indeed that is the case) but it could easily have been a pedestrian who looked the wrong way when crossing against a red light. In which case (and we do not even know the exact cause of death...) what would Wiggins have said??? Nothing I suspect. If the bus crossed a red light that would be another matter. At present, we do not know . The interjection of Wiggins is unhelpful and stupid.

or is it the idiot BBC stirring things up for a story? Another example of celeb culture, where their inane tweets and comments are seized upon by the lazy media to fill cheaply their pages or airwaves. report from the Guardian here in which Wiggins is seen to be doing a bit of back-pedalling (sic) despite having stirred up the hornet's nest. What does he know about commuter cycling in the busiest city in Europe? Wiggins: ""I suggested it may be the way to go to give cyclists more protection legally if involved in an accident " (I don't like his simplistic use of the word ACCIDENT) . No, he is advocating giving drivers of motor vehicles legal protection should they run down and kill cyclists (and why not pedestrians?) who do not wear helmets. Open season on the vulnerable. What is the legal protection he is talking about? If you are run down wearing a helmet, it is automatically the driver's fault? But not if otherwise? It is nonsense.

Was the cyclist on the footpath, or on the road. If on the road, was the cyclist alongside the bus as the bus turned 180 degrees, which is a dangerious situation to be in. The inquest is on August 31. Video of the scene immediately afterwards here, with the bus across parked across the pedestrian/cyclist light -controlled crossing

BBC video here;