England 12/08/2013 – Recent figures show that, across the UK, the number of accidents involving cyclists that result in injury is on the increase despite the introduction of safety measures.
Naturally, this is leading to the number claiming bicycle injury compensation. The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety is concerned at the rising rate of cycling deaths and the increased cyclist injury rate.
The Get Britain Cycling report shows that despite the fact that the number of injuries and deaths has increased by 5%. Some try to explain this figure away by stating that the increase in injuries is a direct consequence of more people taking up cycling. However, the same report shows that in 2012 are very few new cyclists took to the British roads. Therefore, most of the cycling world does not believe that the increase in accidents this purely down to the fact that they are more people riding bikes on the road. The number of kilometres covered by UK bike riders has only increased by only 1.2% over the past year, yet accident rates have increased by 5%.
Roger Geffen, CTC Campaigns Director, said: “Although cycle use has increased, serious injuries and deaths to cyclists are increasing faster. The Government needs to respond to the Get Britain Cycling report’.
The severity of injuries is also increasing
Alarmingly, not only is the rate of accidents increasing severity of the accidents is also climbing. Department of Transport figures showed that into first than 1207 cyclist lost their lives. Serious injuries increased from 3085 in 2011 to 3222. That is a third more injuries than British cyclists experienced during the period covering 2005 to 2009, which is when proper statistics began to be kept.
Firms like the Bike Claim Solicitors have seen demand for their cycling accident compensation service increased steadily each year. Unfortunately, they expect this trend to continue for some time into the future, because any changes that the government introduces will take time to bed in and begin to have a positive effect. However, the government is planning to invest a lot of money into cycling, so eventually the number or accidents will begin to tail off.
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