More cyclists equals safer roads- Official.

Government statistics show drop in British cycling fatalities

By Richard Peace
Safe cycling is a priority in the UK. (Len Embry)


The latest government figures from the Office of National Statistics
and the Department for Transport show that the number of pedal
cyclists killed in Great Britain decreased by seven percent during
2007, according to their joint report.

Whilst cyclist fatalities fell from 146 to 136, the same report shows
total cyclist casualties were at the same level as 2006 at 16,195.
More worryingly there were 2,428 seriously injured cyclists, six
percent higher than in 2006. The number of slightly injured cyclists
showed a one percent decrease from 2006 to 2007, down to 13,631.

The stats were also analysed by age – showing an eight percent
increase in serious cycle injuries for children (509) with child
fatalities staying about the same (13).


http://www.bikeradar.com/news/articl...alities--17883


The overall trend is even more impressive when put against increased
cycle use over recent years, as reported by the two main sources of
figures. The government’s Department for Transport’s figures,
Transport Trends recently reported “Between 2000 and 2006, pedal cycle
traffic grew from 4.2 to 4.6 billion vehicle kilometres, the highest
since 1992.”

And Sustrans’ own figures have shown year on year increases in the
use of off-road sections of their network.

There really are more people cycling more safely it seems – and that’s
official.

spindrift wrote:
...
total cyclist casualties were at the same level as 2006 at 16,195.
...
there were 2,428 seriously injured cyclists, six
percent higher than in 2006.
...
The stats were also analysed by age – showing an eight percent
increase in serious cycle injuries for children (509) with child
fatalities staying about the same (13).

Ah.

There really are more people cycling more safely it seems – and that’s
official.

What leads you to the "more safely" conclusion then?

--
Matt B

On Wed, 6 Aug 2008 03:10:01 -0700 (PDT), spindrift
wrote:

Government statistics show drop in British cycling fatalities

By Richard Peace
Safe cycling is a priority in the UK. (Len Embry)


The latest government figures from the Office of National Statistics
and the Department for Transport show that the number of pedal
cyclists killed in Great Britain decreased by seven percent during
2007, according to their joint report.

Whilst cyclist fatalities fell from 146 to 136, the same report shows
total cyclist casualties were at the same level as 2006 at 16,195.
More worryingly there were 2,428 seriously injured cyclists, six
percent higher than in 2006. The number of slightly injured cyclists
showed a one percent decrease from 2006 to 2007, down to 13,631.


Does it attribute any of the improvements to the increase in the
number of people wearing helmets?

--
you can either promote cycling or promote helmets,
the two are incompatible. (Guy Chapman)

spindrift writes:

Whilst cyclist fatalities fell from 146 to 136, the same report shows
total cyclist casualties were at the same level as 2006 at 16,195.
More worryingly there were 2,428 seriously injured cyclists, six
percent higher than in 2006. The number of slightly injured cyclists
showed a one percent decrease from 2006 to 2007, down to 13,631.

Can't help wondering whether these numbers are really statistically
signigicant. If nothing had changed about the roads, number of cyclists,
etc. you'd still expect *some* variation year on year.

On Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:25:44 +0100, Matt B
wrote:

spindrift wrote:
...
total cyclist casualties were at the same level as 2006 at 16,195.
...
there were 2,428 seriously injured cyclists, six
percent higher than in 2006.
...
The stats were also analysed by age – showing an eight percent
increase in serious cycle injuries for children (509) with child
fatalities staying about the same (13).

Ah.

There really are more people cycling more safely it seems – and that’s
official.

What leads you to the "more safely" conclusion then?

More people cycling and the same or similar number of injuries
indicate a decreased chance of injury per cyclist.

On Aug 6, 12:14*pm, Paul Rudin wrote:
spindrift writes:
Whilst cyclist fatalities fell from 146 to 136, the same report shows
total cyclist casualties were at the same level as 2006 at 16,195.
More worryingly there were 2,428 seriously injured cyclists, six
percent higher than in 2006. The number of slightly injured cyclists
showed a one percent decrease from 2006 to 2007, down to 13,631.

Can't help wondering whether these numbers are really statistically
signigicant. If nothing had changed about the roads, number of cyclists,
etc. you'd still expect *some* variation year on year.

The general truism is that the more cyclists there are, the safer the
roads become.

Cyclists become commonplace, drivers get used to them, and of course
more drivers cycle.

On Wed, 6 Aug 2008 03:10:01 -0700 (PDT), spindrift
said in
:

The latest government figures from the Office of National Statistics
and the Department for Transport show that the number of pedal
cyclists killed in Great Britain decreased by seven percent during
2007, according to their joint report.

Excellent news. I think this is not unrelated to the substantial
increases in cycling round London in the last couple of years.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

On Aug 6, 12:51*pm, "Just zis Guy, you know?" wrote:
On Wed, 6 Aug 2008 03:10:01 -0700 (PDT), spindrift
said in
:

The latest government figures from the Office of National Statistics
and the Department for Transport show that the number of pedal
cyclists killed in Great Britain decreased by seven percent during
2007, according to their joint report.

Excellent news. *I think this is not unrelated to the substantial
increases in cycling round London in the last couple of years.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. *Contents liable to settle after posting.http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

Wanna bet the Evening Standard reports this is an utterly misleading
way?

they did last time.

Tom Crispin wrote:
On Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:25:44 +0100, Matt B
wrote:

spindrift wrote:
...
total cyclist casualties were at the same level as 2006 at 16,195.
...
there were 2,428 seriously injured cyclists, six
percent higher than in 2006.
...
The stats were also analysed by age – showing an eight percent
increase in serious cycle injuries for children (509) with child
fatalities staying about the same (13).
Ah.

There really are more people cycling more safely it seems – and that’s
official.
What leads you to the "more safely" conclusion then?

More people cycling and the same or similar number of injuries
indicate a decreased chance of injury per cyclist.

Ah, "per cyclist", yes. I wonder if that is the best measure of
exposure to danger. It would be interesting to see the figures per time
on the road, and per miles travelled too.

I wonder what other road safety statistics could be transformed by
choosing a suitable denominator ;-)

--
Matt B

spindrift wrote:
On Aug 6, 12:51 pm, "Just zis Guy, you know?" wrote:
On Wed, 6 Aug 2008 03:10:01 -0700 (PDT), spindrift
said in
:

The latest government figures from the Office of National Statistics
and the Department for Transport show that the number of pedal
cyclists killed in Great Britain decreased by seven percent during
2007, according to their joint report.
Excellent news. I think this is not unrelated to the substantial
increases in cycling round London in the last couple of years.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

Wanna bet the Evening Standard reports this is an utterly misleading
way?

What - even more misleading than you way you reported it???

--
Matt B