UK cycle safety a hot topic

7 comments
By Jeff Jones in Bath, UK | Thursday, Feb 2, 2012 4.30pm

UK cycle safety was in the spotlight today after The Times launched a 'Cities fit for cycling' campaign that coincided with the release of new casualty statistics by the Department for Transport. 

The Times deemed the issue important enough for a front page headline, "Save our Cyclists", calling it "a campaign to improve the safety of cycling in Britain's towns and cities". Inside, the newspaper detailed an eight-point manifesto, ranging from requiring trucks to be fitted with more safety equipment, to devoting more of the Highways Agency budget to building cycling infrastructure, to improving training for cyclists and drivers.

The catalyst for the campaign was an accident involving Times journalist Mary Bowers, who was hit by a lorry while on her way to work and suffered life threatening injuries. Bowers is still unconscious, while her colleagues question why she and others have joined the growing number of cyclists killed and seriously injured (KSI) in the UK.

Department of Transport figures show that KSI statistics for pedestrian, motorcycle and car users fell by between one and seven percent in the past year. Cyclist KSIs for the same period, however, increased by eight percent, including a four percent rise in the number killed. And although the number of miles cycled does appear to be increasing as well, British roads doesn't appear to be getting any safer.

IAM (the Institute of Advanced Motorists) called the long-term trend in KSI statistics for cyclists "deeply worrying", citing a 17.5 per cent increase in cyclist casualties between 2007 and 2011. The organisation's director of policy and research, Neil Greig, said: “It's extremely concerning that cyclist casualties are not reducing and this is something the Government and local councils must act on. This will mean changes to road layouts, more cycle training and promoting better awareness among drivers.”

British Cycling lent its voice in support of cycle safety. The UK's governing body for cycling called for more "mutual respect between motorists and cyclists" along with "greater cycle awareness in the driving test and Highway Code", "better enforcement of the law on mobile phone use while driving" and improvements to "poorly laid out roads and junctions".

"It’s essential that we get away from this sense of ‘them and us’ between motorists and cyclists," said Ian Drake, BC's chief executive. "Most people who ride a bike also drive a car which suggests there should already be some mutual understanding. Now more needs to be done to build on this and create a culture in which all road users can better respect each other. And it’s important to stress that cyclists have as much of a role to play in this as motorists, by ensuring they adhere to the rules of the road with regards to things like stopping at red traffic lights and signalling correctly."

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User Comments

There are 7 comments on this post

Showing 1 - 7 of 7 comments

  • I have been willing something high profile like this to happen - Everyone must get behind this - we can make things change!

  • Not buying it for a moment. They've never cared about this until now... when one of their own gets injured?

    Stinks of opportunism.

  • Not sure how that happened. My comment was: does motive matter if the message is good?

  • I see another KSI stat on the road everyday.. All cyclists should at least invest in a helmet and lights, that's the least we can all do.

  • I see about 10 or so 'Tesco MTB crew' every time I drive around in the dark with no helmets and no lights and no reflective clothing.

    I bet a majority of these types of cyclist make up a large number of the deaths even though your average 'roadie' puts in a lot more miles. They also generally can't cycle for s**t.

  • What's 'signalling correctly'? Motorists still overtake me even when I am signalling right

  • Something need to be done but for me there are 2 main points

    1 some drivers just dont care or are just very poor drivers, some how these people need to be educated/changed.

    2 most road planners need sacking becauce what they have done in the last few years is in the main a waste of time and money. And by that I mean a lot of cycle tracks have no right of way, very rough, shared with pedistrains etc meaning so many are not fit for purpose!!! so cyclist just dont use them. I do realise some time they have not the space to do a proper job but if it is a comuter rought we have diffrent needs to a rought for primary school children so why do they make them the same?

    Some people say speed is the problem I realy do disagree (ok if you are hit it does matter) it is how close the driver passes you, all too often some people are too close and any movement from me as a cyclist there could be a colistion. One of the worst things for me on my comute are trafic islands where they are narrowing the road most should be got rid of period. they just force cars, buses and wagons on to you and I hate them as a cyclist and as a driver of a car and

    HGV.

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