The CTC issued a report today confirming that more cyclists on the road does indeed mean less chance of an accident. Safety in Numbers is a 5MB downloadable PDF. A few papers have picked up on the story, such as the Guardian.
The barchart on page 2 lists 2007 fatalities by mode of transport: both users killed, and others killed by those users. The figures are Car 1432/1049; Lorries 110/423; Motorbike 588/40; Bus/coach 12/84; Pedestrian 540/2; Cycle 136/5.
As the report points out, more cyclists doesn't just increase safety for those of us on bikes. It also reduces the number killed collaterally, because some car journeys - which are as likely to kill those outside the vehicle as inside - become bike journeys, which are extremely unlikely to kill anyone not riding the bike.
And you do wonder how those two unfortunate people managed to be killed by pedestrians.
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How annoying 5MB downloaded and nowhere was there an actual table giving the figures for more than a few headline towns and areas. Or did I just miss it among all the fancy graphics? I'm easily confused
ReplyDeleteTownmouse - You're right, that 5MB download was just an eight-page publicity leaflet. I couldn't find anything more detailed on the CTC website, though the Guardian has published this map which classifies each county or unitrary area in the whole of England in terms of "cycling safety".
ReplyDeleteIf A is least safe and E is most safe, then Greater London is (it says) B.
Hertfordshire, Buckingshamshire and East Sussex are A (least safe).
The remaining Home Counties are B.
Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Norfolk are E (most safe).