Family of woman, 81, killed in collision on Oxford towpath want law change to protect pedestrians

  • Polly's son Andrew spoke to ITV Meridian's Ciaran Fitzpatrick about the devastating impact losing his mother has had on their lives

The children of an 81-year old-woman who died after she collided with a cyclist on the River Thames towpath are calling for greater protections for pedestrians.

Polly Friedhoff died two weeks after the incident which happened when she was walking with a friend near Iffley Lock in Oxford in November 2022.

Described as "their rock" and "ultimate confidante", her sons Andrew and Jolyon now want clearer rules on towpaths to prioritise pedestrians, like the Highway Code.

"We just want to make sure this never happens to anyone else," said Andrew Friedhoff. "So no other family has to go through something like this again, and I think there are ways for that to happen.”

The man on the bike was cleared of causing bodily harm by wanton or furious driving.

Polly Friedhoff was a keen walker and well loved by the community before she died in November 2022. Credit: Family handout

This law goes back to the late 19th century and Andrew said it needs to be updated: "It was introduced for horses and carriages. It is just extraordinary that we are still using a law from so long ago.

"It is very overdue to be updated," said Andrew. "I believe Parliament has discussed it not that long ago. So that needs to be updated."

Signs have been put up in in the nearby area to warn cyclists but Andrew says they aren't visible enough.

"Most urgently are these areas of shared space, such as a river towpath where the laws are not clear, the signing is very unclear," added Andrew.

"It is only visible when you're coming onto the path."

The Iffley Lock in Oxford on the Thames towpath is a popular spot for cyclists and walkers. Credit: ITV Meridian

Oxfordshire County Council said they "have been involved in towpath improvement work" and installed signs calling on people to be "considerate and respect other users on spaces that are shared by those walking and cycling."

The authority said "its ambitions for Vision Zero involves learning lessons from incidents and working closely with other organisations to ensure people can move around all of the Oxfordshire network safely."

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has been contacted for a comment but have yet to respond.

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