Emma Burke Newman, 22, had her whole life ahead of her. Born and raised in France to American parents, cycling had been part of her life from a young age. She had cycled in Paris, London, and Berlin for years without incident and ought to have been afforded the same protection after she moved to Scotland in late 2022.

However, within months of moving to Glasgow, Emma was killed while commuting by bicycle to Glasgow School of Art. The driver of the HGV that collided with Emma, Paul Mowat, has pled guilty to the charge of death by careless driving, but what lessons are there to learn from Emma’s tragic death?

Emma was attempting to navigate the junction of Broomielaw and King George V Bridge. At this junction, there are Advanced Stop Lines (ASLs), also known as bike boxes. ASLs are stop lines for cyclists at traffic-light controlled junctions and are marked beyond the stop line for general traffic. They are designed to give cyclists a safe place to stop at busy junctions and allow them to be positioned ahead of other traffic, so they have more time to pull off as the lights change.

Emma had positioned herself within the bike box. Illegally, both Mr Mowat and the bus driver to his nearside offside had also come to a stop well within the designated area. This meant that Emma was not afforded the safe space the ASLs are designed to provide.

However, a worrying narrative from the criminal case is that Emma placed herself in a "vulnerable" position. However, she was following the rules of the road and was doing what many cyclists do every day on their commute. This narrative also casts a shadow over what cyclists are expected to do at such junctions. Bike boxes should not be considered a vulnerable position.

Should the narrative not be flipped and used as an opportunity to educate all road users about their presence, design purpose, and the need to protect vulnerable road users? This, in turn, will save lives and save drivers from possible legal consequences. We ask drivers to “get behind bike boxes".

We also know that the positioning of a reversing camera mounted upon the dashboard of Mr Mowat’s work vehicle obstructed his view of Emma. Therefore, we must call on employers to ensure that their vehicles are fit for the road and do not have unnecessary obstructions that could impact their employees’ ability to see vulnerable road users.

Prosecuting Mr Mowat alone will not bring about the necessary change needed to protect cyclists in our cities. He will live the rest of his life with the consequences of his actions on that fateful Friday morning. Besides a sentence that serves as a deterrent to other motorists, what is needed is broader accountability and a review of potential reforms.

This must be a collective effort for real change before another life is needlessly lost.

Jodi Gordon is a partner with Cycle Law Scotland and is representing the family of Emma Burke Newman.

Agenda is a column for outside contributors. Contact: agenda@theherald.co.uk