Mr Dokic · Prevention of Future Deaths report

On the 14th February 2017 I took preliminary evidence at a Pre-inquest Review touching the death of Mr Dokic.

Medical Cause of Death

1 (a) Multiple Traumatic Injuries

How, when and where and in what circumstances the deceased came by her death:

The preliminary view of the evidence based upon CCTV recordings and the view of the collision investigator was that Mr Dokic was travelling east on a motorcycle and overtaking a van from the inside on Battersea Park Road on the 1st March 2016 in wet conditions, when he lost control of his vehicle when he drove onto the blue cycle lane just past the pedestrian crossing opposite the junction with Ford Road. The CCTV clearly shows the motorcycle losing grip and sliding along the road. Sadly, Mr Dokic came off, and hit a bollard sustaining injuries that led to his death at the scene.

Conclusion as to the death

No Conclusions have yet been reached as the Inquest has not been heard.

The preliminary evidence was that the blue cycle lane of the cycle super-highway (CSH) at the point where he came off when later tested by the collision investigator offers a much lower grip than the conventional road surface with a skid resistance value of 56.3 compared to the road surface of 77.05 and the CSH before the pedestrian crossing an even higher skid resistance value of 89.85.

I understood that some cyclists have raised concerns that the CSH appears in places to have lower grip than other areas of road surface.

I am also due to hear evidence in another death in slightly different circumstances than this of Mr Dokic where low grip on the CSH may also have played a part. This death also occurred in Battersea.

The Collision Investigator was also concerned that Battersea Park Road at the junction with Forral Road is an area in which turning maneouvres are frequent and so it may be an area of particular danger to vulnerable road users prone to slip such as motorcyclists and cyclists.

1. That the use of the road surface with reduced grip on the CSH compared to the usual road surface represents a hazard to road users making it more likely that they will lose control of their vehicles.
2. That the surface of the CSH with reduced grip may be widespread and as such other dangerous areas may exist.
3. That TfL should therefore undertake an urgent review of all areas treated with such road surface and replace it with the higher grip surface.
4. That the CSH should all have increased rather than reduced grip compared to the ordinary road surface since cyclists are vulnerable road users.
5. That areas of road at junctions such as this junction between Battersea Park Road and Forrar Road are of particular concern from a risk perspective.
6. That these concerns are too urgent to wait until the full hearing of the evidence to be addressed.

It may well that further matters of concern for example in relation to guidance, standards and testing will arise after the inquest has been heard, but evidence has yet been received in relation to these issues.