The main cause of cyclist related road traffic accidents

Protecting those who are ‘Road Vulnerable’

Unsurprisingly there are a  number of ways cyclists accidents can occur but this discussion will consider two causes. In 2019 cyclists were considering the second most vulnerable road user (1). This is not surprising considering data showed that out of 16,884 cyclist accidents which were reported to the police 100 were killed and a further 4,333 were seriously injured (2). This is particularly concerning as with a lack of public transport and exercise facilities being shut, more people are cycling. The survey highlighted that 29% of respondents stated that they were riding more on the road since lockdown began (3).

‘Not able to be seen’

In a survey done by the AA Charitable Trust it highlighted that 93% of other road users stated it is difficult to spot cyclists on roads. Could the reason of ‘not able to be seen’ be the cause of why so many cyclist related accidents occur at junctions.

Our advice to other road users:

Be mindful that not all road users are in four wheeled vehicles and always approach junctions, roundabouts and other potentially hazardous areas with caution at a slow speed.

Our advice to cyclists:

Wear high visibility clothing at all times of the day, certain weather conditions such as fog could impact you being visible and install a bike light- these can be extremely beneficial in showing your presence on the road.

‘Punishment Breaking’

The notion of punishment breaking is when other road users overtake cyclists and then suddenly break when in front so the cyclist has to either break themselves or attempt to avoid the vehicle to prevent a collision. The THINK campaign was released in 2014 to try and build empathy from other road users towards cyclists and prevent this bad road user behaviour.

Our advice to other road users:

Be mindful of the THINK campaign and have empathy towards those cycling. Do not adopt the punishment breaking behaviour or you could be responsible for killing or fatally injuring someone as a result of a moment’s anger.

Our advice to cyclists:

Whilst you cannot prevent punishment breaking, we do advise you to wear safety protection always. Whilst this may not prevent an accident from occurring in the unfortunate event one did, safety helmets can be crucial in the severity of your injury.

Have you been involved in a road traffic accident?

Unfortunately, some accidents cannot be prevented regardless of the safety precautions you take.

If you have been a cyclist involved in a collision which was not your fault call our team of personal injury experts where we can discuss matters further and see how we can assist you.

If you have been a cyclist involved in an accident which was not involving another vehicle such as a pothole, this is also something that you can potentially claim for. Please call our experts or request a callback for a further discussion.

1.  Chart 6: ‘Reported road casualties in Great Britain: 2019 annual report’ <https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/922717/reported-road-casualties-annual-report-2019.pdf> Date Accessed: 28/01/2021
2.  ‘Table RAS30001: ‘Reported road casualties by road user type and severity, Great Britain, 2019’ <https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/ras30-reported-casualties-in-road-accidents? Date Accessed: 28/01/2021
3.  AA Populus Driver Poll Summary <https://www.theaa.com/about-us/public-affairs/aa-populus-driver-poll-summaries-2020#december2020> Date Accessed: 28/01/2021