The Story

The See Me Save Me campaign was founded in 2009 by Kate Cairns following the death of her sister, Eilidh, at Notthing Hil Gate, London.

The Crash:  At 8.56 a.m., on 5 February 2009, 30-year-old Eilidh Cairns, a fit and experienced cyclist, was struck from behind, dragged and crushed by a fully laden 32-tonne tipper lorry as she cycled to work. She died two hours later. The driver said he did not see her.

The Aftermath:  Eilidh’s family and friends were devastated by the death of Eilidh. This was compounded by failings in the police investigation and flaws of the coronial process in the collision aftermath. Then came the realisation that similar such deaths were occurring on a regular basis. Their frustrations were further inflamed when 15 months after the death of Eilidh, Nora Gutmann, a holocaust survivor who had 'a zest for life', was run down on a pedestrian crossing by the same driver, in a similar vehicle.

The Failings:  It became apparent that there were countless victims of such crashes; the dead, the injured, the bereaved, the drivers, and all their families, friends and colleagues. All failed by a construction industry complacent to blind areas in vehicles; failed by policy and legislation inadequate to prevent collisions; and failed by a justice system turning blind eye to road death.