Thanks to crack downs on drink driving, seatbelt usage and distracted driving, road traffic accident fatalities are dropping year on year. However, cyclists are still very vulnerable road users. In 2015, 18,844 cyclists were injured in reported road accidents. 3,399 were killed or seriously injured. (ROSPA) You are much more likely to be killed or suffer an injury as a cyclist than you are as a car driver. Per billion miles cycled, 1,025 cyclists die compared to 309 car drivers.
These statistics only include accidents that were reported to the police, but accidents happen frequently where the cyclist does not report the accident to the police even if they were badly injured.
Cycling Accident facts:
- Around 75% of serious cycling accidents occur in urban areas.
- Half of cycling fatalities happen on rural roads.
- 75% of all cycling accidents happen at, or near a junction.
- 80% occur in daylight.
- 80% of casualties are male.
- 10% are children.
- Around three-quarters of cyclists who are killed die from major head injuries.
What Causes Cycling Accidents?
Cycling accidents are usually caused by human error.
Attributed to the cyclist:
- Failure to look properly, particularly at junctions.
- Losing control of the bicycle (usually no car driver is involved in this).
- Entering the road from the pavement, which is common in child cyclists.
- Going to fast or doing tricks, again common in child cyclists.
Attributed to the driver:
- Failure to look properly, particularly at junctions.
- Driving too close to a cyclist, this is more common with buses, coaches and heavy goods vehicles.
- Poor turn/ manoeuvre.
- Careless, reckless or hurried driving.
- Drunk driving.
- Exceeding the speed limit.
- Driving too fast for the conditions.
Common Cycling Injuries:
- Limb injuries. 40% of injured cyclists report arm injuries and 25% report leg injuries.
- Chest/abdomen injuries. Only 5% of cyclist injuries involve the chest or abdomen but when they are reported they tend to be very serious.
- Head injuries are very common to cyclists, ranging from fatal skull fractures and brain damage to minor concussion and cuts. Most cyclists who are killed on the roads die from head injuries.
If you have been injured in a cycling accident, it’s important to take photographs of the scene including the vehicles and your injuries and get the details of the driver. Take down the details of witnesses. Record the surrounding conditions such as the weather and junctions or pot holes. Get assessed by a doctor even if you feel well, head injuries can take a while to start showing symptoms and you may feel fine. Read more about traumatic brain injuries here.
The fault of the accident can potentially be determined by different factors such as the position of the vehicle when it struck the bike. If you feel you were in a cycling accident which may not have been your fault or someone else may have contributed to the accident, one of our solicitors can contact you to discuss things in more detail. We can assess whether you may have a case. We operate on a no-win, no-fee basis so if you do not have a claim, you don’t need to pay for this advice. Just fill in our claims form and a solicitor will get back to you within 24 hours.
