Cyclists on UK Roads: increasingly vulnerable, and a threat to pedestrians

Using Freedom of Information requests, Claims.co.uk has gathered data from 27 UK police forces revealing just how vulnerable cyclists continue to be. The police data also reveals the 5 most dangerous regions for cyclists, topped by Hampshire. Those regions are:

• Hampshire – 567 cyclists injured by cars in 2018
• Avon and Somerset – 478 cyclists injured by cars in 2018
• Thames Valley – 444 cyclists injured by cars in 2018
• Surrey – 431 cyclists injured by cars in 2018
• Dorset – 416 cyclists injured by cars in 2018

According to these statistics, the police were called out to 6,611 incidents involving cyclists hit by cars in 2018 alone, showing an increase in cycling injuries sustained by vehicles over the past 4 years.

The Department for Transport’s most recent review into cycling and walking in 2017 found that more people are cycling than ever, meaning more and more people are becoming vulnerable to injury on Britain’s roads. Of those surveyed, 14% said that they cycle at least once a week. Previously, the governing body had averaged that around 63 cyclists are injured on UK roads every single week, with an average of two of those being fatal.

* = data not for full year
not held = Police force does not hold this data

Following the increase in cyclists on roads, with it comes an increase in injuries to pedestrians. Year on year, the data obtained from police forces across the UK showed that there was a nominal increase in pedestrians injured by push cyclists in 2018, with the following regions seeing more injuries to pedestrians that the rest of the UK:

• City of London – 32 pedestrians injured by cyclists in 2018
• Hampshire – 24 pedestrians injured by cyclists in 2018
• West Midlands – 10 pedestrians injured by cyclists in 2018

* = data not for full year
– = Police force does not hold this data

While the number of people utilising bicycles and walking more is on the up, national organisations have teamed up to form The Walking and Cycling Alliance, which consists of representatives from British Cycling, Cycling UK, Living Streets, Sustrans, The Bicycle Association and The Ramblers.

The alliance are calling on the Department for Transport to increase budgets to help the UK meet it’s ambitious “net zero” carbon dioxide emissions by 2050, claiming that increasing cycling and walking across the UK will also lead to better health.