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Cyclist injuries climb as road deaths fall

06/11/2009

The number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads is continuing its downwards trend, according to the most recent data.

Provisional Department for Transport (DfT) figures, covering the second quarter of 2009, reveal that the total number of people killed or seriously injured (KSI) on the roads fell by 1% compared to the same period in 2008. The number slightly injured fell by 3%.

However, while deaths and injuries fell among pedestrians and car users, the numbers of KSI motorcyclists climbed by 5% compared to April-June 2008, to reach 1,870.

And a 19% jump in the number of deaths and serious injuries among pedal cyclists - from 688 in Q2 of 2008 to 820 in the second quarter of this year - has caused concern.

Road safety campaigners fear that the rise in those killed and injured reflects a higher number of less experienced cyclists on congested roads, as commuters take up cycling in a bid to save money and avoid being stuck in traffic.

Speaking this morning on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme, RoSPA's Jo Stagg cautioned that it was hard to draw conclusions from figures representing a single quarter of the year.

"The increase in cyclist casualties could be temporary - and we very much hope that it is."

She added that previous economic downturns had led to an increase in the uptake of cycling, and higher average speeds on roads.

"It is worrying when we hear that people say they don't want to cycle because they have safety concerns, and we hope that the recent figures aren't going to dissuade people from actually getting on their bikes."

A DfT spokesperson told The Telegraph that the figures should be considered in the context of a 31% fall in the number of KSI cyclists since the mid-1990s, and pointed out that cycling traffic increased by 12% between 2007 and 2008.

He added: "We take road safety extremely seriously and are working to improve safety for cyclists in a number of ways."

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