The number of pedestrians and cyclists involved in collisions with fire engines and response vehicles in London has more than doubled in the last year, a Freedom of Information investigation has revealed.
Ten cyclists and pedestrians have been involved in collisions with London Fire Brigade (LFB) vehicles so far in 2023, compared to just four last year, the FOI request by the Standard shows.
Just one such collision happened in 2020 when the UK was largely under lockdown restrictions. This was followed by five in 2021.
Of the 10 incidents this year, six have involved pedestrians, three cyclists, and one a person riding an electric scooter.
Eight of the incidents involved fire engines, while one involved an LFB car, and another a turntable ladder.
One incident on August 23 saw a cyclist rushed to hospital after being hit by a fire engine responding to a 999 call. The man, thought to be in his 50s, sustained a head injury.
LFB was found to be at fault for the crash, the FOI response shows.
A month later, on September 26, an elderly woman walking in London Road, Thornton Heath, was hit by a fire engine responding to an emergency call.
She is understood to have suffered "life-changing” injuries in the crash, said Scotland Yard.
The FOI response shows "disputed liability".
Of the 10 collisions that have occurred in 2023, investigations have found the Brigade to be at fault for two - the same number as last year. In five cases, they were not found to be at fault. Three cases remain open, or liability is 'disputed'.
All collisions between LFB vehicles and pedestrians or cyclists are investigated by a senior accident investigator.
LFB said it learns from all such crashes, but urged people to stay extra vigilant and to be alert for blue lights and sirens, especially at junctions.
The brigade urged cyclists and drivers to check for emergency vehicles when approaching junctions, and if necessary to look for a space to pull over, signalling clearly and stopping when safe. It also urged pedestrians to stay alert and only cross roads when safe to do so.
“Any collision is one too many, and we continually look at how we can better keep the public and our staff safe," said an LFB spokesperson, responding to the FOI findings.
"Our staff are intensively trained to respond safely to emergencies, while travelling on blue lights, and our drivers take care to avoid collisions when attending an incident.
"Of the 10 collisions that have occurred in 2023, investigations have concluded that two put the Brigade at fault. All drivers undertake comprehensive training, with a requirement to complete a revalidation course every four years."
