A report in the Telegraph last week says that the number of cyclists killed or seriously injured increased by nearly a fifth in the spring.
The Telegraph article points to DfT figures showing that 820 cyclists died or were badly hurt between April and June, compared to 586 in the same period last year.
The figures are extracted from the DfT publication, Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain: Quarterly Provisional Estimates Q2 2009.
The report says that provisional estimates show that fatalities were down by 9% for the 12 months ending June 2009 compared to the previous 12 months. It also says that total casualties and KSI casualties were both down 7%, compared with the previous 12 months.
The Telegraph says that ‘motoring groups and safety experts believe the sudden spike (in cyclist casualties) has been exacerbated by the sudden surge in the number of novice cyclists getting on their bikes without the training needed to cope with traffic in big cities’.
Robert Gifford, executive director of the Parliamentary Council for Transport Safety, says training is essential. "With more people taking up cycling again, there should be refresher course and more help offered to those who are getting on their bike for the first time.”
Click here to read the full Telegraph news report.
Click here to read the DfT news release.
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