CYCLING INJURIES RISE BY 24% IN FIVE YEARS

The number of cyclists injured in collisions has risen by just under a quarter in the last five years, according to a statement made by government health minister Ben Bradshaw and reported by the Evening Standard.

Bradshaw said that 13,368 cyclists were admitted to hospitals in England during 2006-2007. This is an increase of 23.8 per cent over the 2002-2003 figure of 10,795, but a decrease on the figure of 13,533 for 2004-2005.

According to the official 2006-2007 stats, 1,873 cyclists sustained injuries after colliding with cars or vans; 129 with lorries and buses; 208 hit another cyclist; 89 met a pedestrian or animal; 518 collided with a 'stationary object'; and 9,191 were injured where no other vehicle was involved.

The increase in accidents could, of course, be directly related to the increase in number of people cycling, particularly commuting to work.

In a survey carried out by Sainsbury's Home Insurance published this week, the number of cycle commuters now stands at 3.3 million people. The injury figure of 13,368 equates to only 0.4 per cent of commuters alone, without taking into account leisure riders, racers, etc.

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