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National cyclists’ organisation CTC is launching its ‘Safety in Numbers’ campaign at the Houses of Parliament today.
Latest research undertaken by the cycling body has found that the more cyclists there are on the road, the safer cycling becomes. Areas with high cycling usage, such as in London, York, Cambridgeshire and Hull have been found to be the safest places to cycle.
The capital has seen cyclist numbers balloon by 91 per cent in nine years, and has seen a 33 per cent reduction in cyclist casualties over the same approximate period.
The study’s findings will be presented at Parliament today, only two weeks after the Government has begun consulting for its Road Safety Strategy for the next ten years. The CTC wants a target to be included in the Strategy to reduce cyclist risks by 50 per cent, and also to double cycling usage in the next decade.
“My own experiences as a regular cyclist tell me that London’s streets have started getting a lot safer, thanks to the growth in cycling over the past decade,” explained CTC President Jon Snow.
“We all know that more cycling is good, not just for our own health but also for our communities and the environment. I hope decision-makers throughout the country will now heed CTC’s message that more cycling will improve road safety too.”
Roger Geffen, CTC’s Campaigns and Policy Manager, added: “There is good evidence that cycling gets safer the more cyclists there are. Yet despite this, local councils are often reluctant to encourage cycling for fear that this would lead to more casualties – and some even think the best way to meet their safety targets is to scare people off cycling altogether!
“So I’m delighted the Government has taken on board CTC’s suggestion that new targets for cycle safety should be measured in terms of the risk per mile cycled, not simple casualty numbers. We hope this will encourage local authorities to aim for ‘more’ as well as ‘safer’ cycling, in order to maximise cycling’s health and other benefits.”
