Dangerous roundabout

Published: 9 April, 2010

• THE Tribune has reported on the collision at the junction of Southgate Road and Northchurch Road, Islington, sadly resulting in serious injury to a cyclist. Your article (Bike crash: Town Hall ‘failed to act on warning’, April 2) contains the key in the first sentence, referring as it does to the “dangerous mini-roundabout” where the cyclist was injured.
That is indeed exactly what it is – dangerous; and this is mainly because it is not a natural junction for one of these mini-roundabouts, being where a side residential road joins a straight, busy, main road which is a bus route.
There are very many places where mini-roundabouts are quite unsuitable for various reasons and this is certainly one of them.
The fact that a cycle route joins the junction, crossing the pavement from the other side of Southgate Road (which is visibly blocked off from any other traffic) makes it highly precarious for cyclists.
One could easily argue that it is irresponsible or even negligent for those who plan these things to install a mini-roundabout here. The fact that they have done so makes it imperative, at the very least, to ensure the road markings are properly maintained and easily visible.
In fact, the white painted surface of the circle of the roundabout and the dotted lines at each entrance to the junction are in a lamentable state, through wear and tear. The council should reconsider the suitability of this mini-roundabout altogether, but in the meantime, get the road markings repainted immediately.
RICHARD LEWIS
Oakley Road, N1