Woman had her leg broken by speeding towpath cyclist

Published: Saturday, 04 April 2009

THOUGH the Five Rise Locks at Bingley are a massive attraction, campaigners are afraid of the safety of people as cyclists speed down the cycle track by the locks, Alan Tilbury reveals.

One woman has already been hit and badly injured, requiring hospital treatment after a cyclists hurtling down by the side of the locks struck her.

Vernon Goodwin was called to the aid of a woman who was involved in an incident with a teenage cyclist speeding down by the locks, with her leg broken in four places and a fractured hip.

As fast as cars

Residents living near the famous Leeds & Liverpool Canal locks maintain that some cyclists are moving as fast as cars down the towpath next to the locks—causing a danger to pedestrians.

One resident told that there are no rules about using the towpath, and that it was like walking on a road but not knowing which side to walk on, and that it was a recipe for disaster.

'They could have you'

Another resident, Betty Longden, complained:

“Cyclists come down the hill at such a speed that you just don’t hear them. If you step to one side, they could have you.”

The campaigners now want warning notices put up or a dedicated lane for cyclists riding past the locks.