Cyclists Stage Mass Die-In After Hartsilver's Death In London

In the UK, a growing number of deaths have plagued cyclists on the streets. On Monday night, cyclists in London staged a Mass Die-In Protest following the death of Esther Hartsilver.

"Tonight's emotional die-in, which included the cyclist's family and friends, sends a loud message to Southwark Council that it must urgently install protected cycle lanes and protected left hand turns at junctions across the borough," event organizer Nicola Branch tells London's Evening Standard.

Huffington Post reports the 32-year old physiotherapist died in Denmark Hill after being hit by a truck when she was traveling to work on May 29. Hartsilver is the 41^st cyclist who died on a street accident in UK, and the sixth death in London, all involving lorries.

Cyclists laid down with their bikes in Camberwell in honor of Hartsilver's death, and as a protest to the Southwark Council's weak implementation of traffic safety rules. Sally Mortleman, Hartsilver's elder sister spoke at the event, telling bike riders to treasure their lives and "keep on cycling."

Southwark Council leader, Peter John, said, "Our sincerest sympathies are with the family and friends of Miss Hartsilver. We want to make cycling safer for everyone in Southwark, which is one of the reasons why we plan to invest millions of pounds in cycling over the next five years."

John also added that to protect cyclists during rush hour, he proposed a ban on HGV's in London. The council will coordinate with the Mayor of London to strongly implement this regulation upon Hartsilver's death.

John has also mentioned that the Southwark Council is currently planning on safety developments with the Transport for London.

According to BBC, the number of cyclists in London has grown in the last five years, and out of the 22,988 accidents on the streets, 80 have ended in death.