Road deaths decreased by 17% in 2020, but cyclists increased by two-fifths

Official figures confirmed a significant drop in UK road deaths last year, during a Covid lockdown-hit 12 months – but a massive 41 per cent jump in cyclist deaths despite a sharp drop in motor vehicle use .

Government records published by the Department for Transport show that there were an estimated 1,460 road deaths in 2020, including a four-month national lockdown and for much of the rest of the year, with traffic levels below a fifth.

This is less than the 1,752 deaths in 2019, a drop of 17 per cent.

But while the death toll among people traveling in cars fell from 736 to 618, cyclists’ fatalities rose from 100 to 141, as more people turned to their bikes to avoid public transport when the pandemic took hold. rode on.

Commenting on the figures, the AA president, Edmund King, said it was clear that lockdown travel restrictions during the pandemic helped the year-on-year casualty decline and warned that the shrinking death toll for 2020 could be expected. should not be accepted as an achieved improvement. road safety.

“Instead of simply accepting this as a drop in the record, we should use this moment as a catalyst to reset ‘zero’ road deaths as the decade-end goal,” he said.

most dangerous situation published figures There is an increase in the number of cyclists’ casualties.

Not only were there two-five times more deaths than in 2019, they were 27 percent more than a decade ago.

DfT said this was due to a 46 percent increase in cyclist traffic last year, with Britons driving an estimated 5.03 billion miles on their bikes in 2020 – up from 3.45 billion in 2019 – because of the pandemic during the pandemic. use had increased.

In comparison, the national lockdown last year resulted in a 21 per cent overall reduction in all motor vehicle traffic, records show.

This coincides with official figures from a year ago, which showed that the traffic levels across the country in April 2020 were more than 80 per cent lower than normal.

Still, while the figures may point to an increase in cyclist deaths due to a dramatic increase in people using bikes, there has been a decrease in cycling injuries overall.

All cyclist casualties – covering everything from deaths to minor injuries – fell year-on-year to 16,294, down from 16,884 in 2019.

This indicates that cyclists have fewer accidents but a higher risk of loss of life.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) said it is ‘deeply concerned’ about the increase in the number of fatal collisions involving cyclists.

David Walker, head of road and leisure safety at RoSPA, said: ‘We welcome the fact that more people are getting out on their bikes and recognize the reduction in the rate of deaths per mile traveled.

‘However, this should not detract from the startling fact that more cyclists died on our roads than in the previous year.

‘At ROSPA we believe that the number of serious and fatal accidents involving vulnerable road users should not increase as a result of more cyclists and pedestrians.

‘We must continue to act decisively if we are to maintain the status of the safest British roads in the world.’

Edmund King said: ‘While we don’t have the details behind every single death, all drivers need to make sure they look for cyclists and ‘think bikes’, especially when making turns at junctions and intersections.

‘Potholes need to be restored to prevent cyclists from getting off their bikes or getting in the way of vehicles.’

However, cycling groups said the figures raise ‘serious questions about the provision of safe routes for cycling’.

Cycling UK campaign manager Keir Gallagher said he was concerned about the safety of cyclists in rural areas, particularly straight routes in towns, which people are likely to rely on for commuting and other essential trips .

“It also raises questions about whether the default speed limit of 60 mph on winding and often relatively narrow rural roads is appropriate,” he said.

‘It is clear from these figures that we urgently need more investment in safe cycling across the country, and rural communities should not be left behind.

‘Statisticians can expect an increase in cyclist casualties at the same time as more people took to their bikes during the lockdown, but 141 deaths were still 141 tragedies that could have been avoided.

The DfT data also shows that motor traffic was 21 per cent lower in 2020 as compared to 2019. With traffic now returning to pre-pandemic levels, the need for safe cycling spaces is even more urgent.

Last year 100 other road users were exposed as riders exposed to the dangers of e-scooters – and one person died

Last year, over 100 road users and pedestrians were hit and injured by e-scooter riders.

According to DFT data, it breaks down into 21 cyclists, 22 people in vehicles and 57 pedestrians.

A staggering 383 riders were themselves injured in accidents last year – and one was killed.

This year, another rider, 20-year-old Shakur Pinnock, died six days in June after he was involved in an accident with a car in Wolverhampton.

And in July 2019, Emily Hartridge, 35, YouTube star and TV presenter, died after being hit by a lorry while riding an e-scooter at a crossroads in Battersea, south London.

Of 57 pedestrians who were injured after being hit by an e-scooter in the UK last year, 13 have been reported as ‘serious’.

Most of the victims of e-scooter collisions were at least 40 years old, including nine in the 70 and above category.

Eight children under the age of 10 were also injured.

Two-thirds of the people in this group were under the age of 30, including 123 who were 20 to 29 years old, 118 who were 10 to 19 years old and two who were under 10.

Some of the older e-scooter riders were also among the casualties, including three in the age group of 60 to 69 years and one at least 70 years old.

The figures do not differentiate between incidents involving privately owned e-scooters and rental e-scooters.

Private e-scooters that cannot be used legally in the UK except on private land, but are often used on roads and sidewalks.

Despite long-standing safety concerns about contraception, there have been dozens of legitimate e-scooter rental schemes launched in urban areas across the UK since July 2020 as part of government trials.

The charity Guide Dogs has called for a ban on the sale of private high-speed e-scooters, and expressed fears that their use could mean some people with vision loss could change their route or avoid independent travel altogether. being forced to.