There is concern over the latest statistics on cycling safety in the UK. Data from the Department for Transport (DfT) highlights this issue. While overall road deaths fell by 16% in 2020 due to the 21% reduction in traffic volumes caused by the pandemic, cyclist deaths increased by 40%.
That road deaths in 2020 fell from 1,752 in 2019 to 1,472 in 2020 is good news, but road deaths/billion miles driven actually increased by 6%. While the UK performs well on overall road safety, the data highlights that safety for cyclists needs to be improved. More and better cycling facilities need to be installed and driving standards have to improve.
Cyclist traffic increased substantially by 46% for 2020 over 2019. But cyclist deaths reached 140 in 2020, compared with 100 in 2019.
Overall, there were 23,486 people killed or seriously injured (KSI) on the UK’s roads in 2020, a reduction of 22% over 2019.
That there was an increase in cycling deaths is of serious concern. Considerable effort was made in the UK to set up temporary cycling facilities during the pandemic. The data shows that the UK’s drivers have a lot to do with regard to improving the standard of their driving. It is worth remembering that DfT data shows that in over 80% of incidents involving a crash between a motor vehicle and a bicycle, the cyclist was not at fault.
