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According to a new report from the National Audit Office, the number of cyclists suffering deaths and serious injuries rose by 11 per cent from 2004 to 2007, despite a relatively constant number of cyclists.
The trend contrasting with an overall drop in the number of road deaths, which fell by 18 per cent in 2007 to 2,946 when compared to the period between 1994 and 1998.
The National Audit Office also found that Great Britain’s road safety record is ‘some way behind’ better performing nations.
The NAO’s report pointed out that not all road accidents are recorded, suggesting that the total number of seriously injured casualties could be ‘under-recorded’ by as much as one fifth for cyclists.
The report went on to advocate working closely with local highway authorities to ramp up road safety measures and cited the effectiveness of 20 miles per hour zones, which have found to cull accident rates involving cyclists by 29 per cent.
The report was published today, a day after the CTC went to parliament with its ‘Safety in Numbers’ campaign, which argues that the more cyclists on the road, the safer cycling becomes.
