Cyclists are bearing the brunt of an increase in the numbers of people seriously injured on London roads.
The number of people killed or seriously injured (KSI) on London's roads was more than 3,000 in 2012 according to Transport for London (TfL) figures released in the authority's annual report on progress towards a 40 percent reduction in fatalities and serious injuries.
There was an overall increase in KSI figures in 2012 – the first since 2006 – the most alarming figure was that cyclists killed or badly injured in 2012 was 60 percent above the 2005-2009 baseline. In 2012, 14 cyclists died on Greater London Roads, compared to 16 the year before, but the number who were seriously injured jumped from 555 to 657 – just over an a 18 percent increase.
Sustrans’ London Director, German Dector-Vega said: "These alarming statistics cannot be explained away by increases in walking and cycling around London – this is not just about numbers in a report, we must act urgently to put an end to the needless injury and loss of life.
"Slower speeds save lives and it’s time to put an end to the postcode lottery that means some areas aren’t as safe as others by introducing blanket 20mph zones across London."
Andrew Gilligan, Cycling Commissioner for London, said: "The cyclist casualty figure is troubling, but we are doing something about it. It is one of the key reasons why the Mayor is so strongly committed to spending almost £1 billion to improve conditions and safety for cyclists. At the same time, the casualty figure does need to be kept in perspective. While the number of cycle journeys in London for 2012 isn't currently available, in 2011 there were 209 million cycle journeys in the Capital. Of those, 555 ended in serious injury - a rate of 0.0003 per cent, or one journey in every 380,000."
Last month, a coroner who investigated two fatalities on London's blue Cycle Superhighway network sent a prevention of future death report to London Mayor Boris Johnson and TfL urging them to help protect the safety of the capital's growing number of cyclists.