Road casualty figures for April to June of 2013, released today by the Department for Transport, show a ‘concerning’ increase in cycling casualties on Britain’s roads, British Cycling said today.
The figures indicate that the number of cyclists killed in road collisions has increased by 12% in the reported three month time period, with motorcyclist casualties rising by 4%.
In total, there were 450 road casualties reported in Britain, representing an overall 12% rise on the figure of 402 in the same period last year. These figures are against an increase of 3.4% in road traffic between spring 2012, and spring 2013.
"Cycling remains a safe mode of transport, but it is clear that much more can and must be done by the government to ensure our roads and streets are as safe as possible for all users."
British Cycling Campaigns Manager Martin Key
British Cycling’s Campaigns Manager, Martin Key, said:
“It is concerning that the Department for Transport have today reported that there has been a 12% increase in cycling casualties in a three month period. Cycling remains a safe mode of transport, but it is clear that much more can and must be done by the government to ensure our roads and streets are as safe as possible for all users.
“The Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Transport have made commitments to cycle-proofing and this must lead to more dedicated spaces for cycling in our cities and roads right across the country.
“Today’s casualty data comes on the back of yet more tragic news of HGVs involved in fatal collisions in London. Many of these vehicles are simply unsuitable for driving on busy urban streets and the Mayor of London needs to fulfil his promise to look at options for restricting HGVs just as they do in Paris and Dublin.
“The demand for cycling is there, but we need to improve concerns about safety to encourage people of all ages to get on their bikes. We are starting to see progress on creating better infrastructure for cycling but we have a long way to go to keep dangerous vehicles off the street.”
