Written by Chris Salmon on 11th December 2024Introduction
This page provides a comprehensive overview of the latest official UK cycling accident statistics, offering insights into key trends and contributing factors. We also examine reported behaviours and safety practices linked to cycling incidents.
As of 18th March 2025, the data and analysis presented here are based on the most up-to-date official UK figures. Sources are referenced throughout.
UK Cycling Accident Statistics (2024)
These are some of the key insights included in this report:
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Overall, the rate of UK cycling accidents per mile travelled fell by 30% between 2014 and 2023, though hospital admissions for cycling-related injuries have risen by 8%.
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The rate of fatal cycling accidents fell by 23%.
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The number of children injured on Britain’s roads dropped by 20% in the last decade.
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Men are more likely to be seriously injured or killed in a cycle accident.
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Cycling accidents are more frequent in Summer, and during commutes in the middle of the week.
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London has the highest rate of injuries by journey, but the South East of England has the worst rate of cycling accidents by population size. Scotland has the lowest rate of accidents per capita.
In this report:
UK cycling accidents are significantly underreported
Many non-fatal cycling accidents are not reported to the police, and there is no obligation for cyclists to report these accidents. As such, much of the data in this report should be considered a low estimate of cycling accidents on UK roads.
A 2018 study found that only 30% of collisions that caused severe injury were reported. Approximately 20% of cycling accidents that caused minor or “slight” injury were reported. Based on these estimates, we have also presented cycling accident data adjusted to represent this underreporting.
How are cycling accidents reported and recorded?
UK cycling accident data is based on collisions reported to the police. Some general statistics have been recorded since the 1920’s, with other datasets going back to the 1970’s.
From 2016, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) changed their method for categorising “serious” and “slight” injuries was changed, making it more difficult to compare serious injury rates before and after 2016.
The adoption of injury-based reporting systems by local police forces led to an increase in the reporting of serious injuries, the ONS’s changes sought to adjust for this and maintain consistency across forces. Unless otherwise indicated, we have used the ONS’s revised data.
Overall cycling accident statistics
Government data shows that overall cycling casualty rates on UK roads have been falling since 2004, even as cycle traffic on Britain’s roads has increased from an estimated 2.59 billion miles in 2004 to 3.61 billion in 2023 (an almost 40% increase).
The sharp decline in the casualty rate per mile in 2020 was due to COVID effects (fewer commuters on the roads and an increase in recreational cycling). Post-COVID, data appears to be returning to the expected downward trend.
| Year | Casualties | Traffic[1] | Accident rate | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 16648 | 2.59 | 0.00064% | - |
| 2005 | 16561 | 2.73 | 0.00061% | -5.62% |
| 2006 | 16196 | 2.86 | 0.00057% | -6.65% |
| 2007 | 16195 | 2.62 | 0.00062% | 9.15% |
| 2008 | 16297 | 2.93 | 0.00056% | -10.02% |
| 2009 | 17064 | 3.06 | 0.00056% | 0.26% |
| 2010 | 17185 | 3.1 | 0.00055% | -0.59% |
| 2011 | 19215 | 3.17 | 0.00061% | 9.34% |
| 2012 | 19091 | 3.35 | 0.00057% | -5.98% |
| 2013 | 19438 | 3.24 | 0.00060% | 5.27% |
| 2014 | 21287 | 3.59 | 0.00059% | -1.16% |
| 2015 | 18844 | 3.37 | 0.00056% | -5.70% |
| 2016 | 18477 | 3.36 | 0.00055% | -1.66% |
| 2017 | 18321 | 3.46 | 0.00053% | -3.71% |
| 2018 | 17550 | 3.52 | 0.00050% | -5.84% |
| 2019 | 16883 | 3.63 | 0.00047% | -6.72% |
| 2020 | 16294 | 5.3 | 0.00031% | -33.90% |
| 2021 | 16458 | 4.2 | 0.00039% | 27.46% |
| 2022 | 15693 | 3.9 | 0.00040% | 2.69% |
| 2023 | 14999 | 3.61 | 0.00042% | 3.26% |
[1] Traffic represents the number of billion miles travelled by cycle on UK roads.
UK fatal cycling accident statistics
Since 2004, fatal cycling accidents have followed a similar downward trend to overall cycling accidents.
An exceptional rise in cycling fatalities occurred during COVID, in line with the general increase in cyclists on the road during lockdown.
Chief Superintendent Simon Ovens, from the Met’s roads and transport policing command, argued that rise in fatal accidents was due to an increase in dangerous driving on the quieter roads. “Speeding continues to be the most significant contributor to deaths or serious injuries on roads. During the early stages of the pandemic, we observed some frankly shocking cases of speeding…”
| Year | Killed | Traffic[1] | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 134 | 2.59 | - |
| 2005 | 148 | 2.73 | 4.78% |
| 2006 | 146 | 2.86 | -5.84% |
| 2007 | 136 | 2.62 | 1.68% |
| 2008 | 115 | 2.93 | -24.39% |
| 2009 | 104 | 3.06 | -13.41% |
| 2010 | 111 | 3.1 | 5.35% |
| 2011 | 107 | 3.17 | -5.73% |
| 2012 | 118 | 3.35 | 4.35% |
| 2013 | 109 | 3.24 | -4.49% |
| 2014 | 113 | 3.59 | -6.44% |
| 2015 | 100 | 3.37 | -5.73% |
| 2016 | 102 | 3.36 | 2.30% |
| 2017 | 101 | 3.46 | -3.84% |
| 2018 | 99 | 3.52 | -3.65% |
| 2019 | 100 | 3.63 | -2.05% |
| 2020 | 141 | 5.3 | -3.43% |
| 2021 | 111 | 4.2 | -0.66% |
| 2022 | 91 | 3.9 | -11.71% |
| 2023 | 87 | 3.61 | 3.28% |
[1] Traffic represents the number of billion miles travelled by cycle on UK roads.
Historic fatal cycling accident data
After rising sharply in the 1930s, the rate of fatal cycling accidents fell throughout the 20th Century. Although the trend has continued downward in recent years, the rate of fatal accidents is levelling off.
Cycling accidents by gender
There are many more male cyclists on Britain’s roads than female, and male cyclists are more likely to sustain serious and fatal injuries. This effect was most pronounced in 2020, where 1% of reported male cyclist accidents were fatal, compared to only .3% of female accidents.
| Year | Fatal | Serious injuries | Slight injuries | All injuries | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | |
| 2014 | 93 | 20 | 4177 | 879 | 13001 | 3230 | 17178 | 4109 |
| 2015 | 79 | 21 | 3858 | 792 | 11404 | 2783 | 15262 | 3575 |
| 2016 | 88 | 14 | 3697 | 738 | 11260 | 2762 | 14957 | 3500 |
| 2017 | 89 | 12 | 3664 | 765 | 11137 | 2745 | 14801 | 3510 |
| 2018 | 81 | 18 | 3645 | 773 | 10449 | 2678 | 14094 | 3451 |
| 2019 | 86 | 14 | 3489 | 773 | 9995 | 2565 | 13484 | 3338 |
| 2020 | 130 | 11 | 3605 | 802 | 9404 | 2406 | 13009 | 3208 |
| 2021 | 94 | 17 | 3576 | 813 | 9524 | 2400 | 13100 | 3213 |
| 2022 | 76 | 15 | 3358 | 765 | 9087 | 2319 | 12445 | 3084 |
| 2023 | 71 | 16 | 3287 | 720 | 8743 | 2034 | 12030 | 2754 |
Cycling accidents by age
The number of children injured on Britain’s roads has fallen considerably in the last 20 years, while the percentage of children who cycle to school has risen slightly. It may be that THINK! and other road safety campaigns advocating child safety and cycle safety are responsible for the decline, but a decline in children’s recreational cycling may also explain the change.
Source: National Travel Survey
| Year | Fatal | Serious injuries | Slight injuries | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 15 (children) | 16 to 59 | 60 and over | 0 to 15 (children) | 16 to 59 | 60 and over | 0 to 15 (children) | 16 to 59 | 60 and over | |
| 2004 | 25 | 77 | 32 | 851 | 2148 | 262 | 3806 | 8220 | 627 |
| 2005 | 20 | 98 | 29 | 777 | 2210 | 274 | 3489 | 8392 | 634 |
| 2006 | 31 | 83 | 32 | 706 | 2325 | 284 | 3028 | 8547 | 640 |
| 2007 | 13 | 98 | 24 | 732 | 2420 | 265 | 2888 | 8593 | 650 |
| 2008 | 12 | 81 | 22 | 610 | 2569 | 270 | 2684 | 8959 | 645 |
| 2009 | 14 | 67 | 23 | 640 | 2746 | 321 | 2550 | 9593 | 670 |
| 2010 | 7 | 75 | 29 | 577 | 2873 | 320 | 2244 | 10057 | 616 |
| 2011 | 6 | 73 | 28 | 582 | 3392 | 352 | 2293 | 11387 | 676 |
| 2012 | 13 | 78 | 27 | 455 | 3632 | 386 | 1730 | 11582 | 741 |
| 2013 | 6 | 78 | 25 | 408 | 3651 | 377 | 1544 | 12224 | 734 |
| 2014 | 6 | 75 | 32 | 408 | 4025 | 449 | 1591 | 13464 | 836 |
| 2015 | 6 | 69 | 25 | 395 | 3677 | 426 | 1528 | 11625 | 713 |
| 2016 | 8 | 64 | 30 | 393 | 3465 | 424 | 1580 | 11319 | 830 |
| 2017 | 2 | 66 | 33 | 455 | 3346 | 483 | 1754 | 11059 | 826 |
| 2018 | 5 | 60 | 34 | 406 | 3362 | 513 | 1543 | 10413 | 843 |
| 2019 | 10 | 59 | 31 | 436 | 3182 | 502 | 1548 | 9895 | 804 |
| 2020 | 9 | 76 | 56 | 376 | 3201 | 652 | 1285 | 9330 | 926 |
| 2021 | 3 | 73 | 35 | 383 | 3245 | 614 | 1268 | 9471 | 939 |
| 2022 | 4 | 48 | 39 | 323 | 3100 | 569 | 1201 | 8993 | 904 |
| 2023 | 6 | 52 | 29 | 325 | 3010 | 566 | 1265 | 8422 | 864 |
Cycling collisions with other road users
Cycle accidents involving heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) account for only 1.6% of total collisions, but 16.8% of fatal accidents and 8.7% of serious injuries.
The size, mass and speed of HGVs make them particularly dangerous to cyclists. Transport for London (TfL) highlighted this specific issue in their Cycle Safety Action Plan in 2014, and the rate of HGV-inflicted cycling injuries fell between 2014 and 2023 by 48%.
| 2014-2023 | Fatal | Fatal (%) | Serious | Serious (%) | Slight | Slight (%) | Total | Total (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motorcycles | 13 | 1.40% | 754 | 1.90% | 2604 | 2.10% | 3371 | 2.0% |
| Cars | 562 | 62.70% | 32968 | 83.40% | 107787 | 85.60% | 141319 | 85.0% |
| Buses or coaches | 29 | 3.20% | 708 | 1.80% | 1974 | 1.60% | 2711 | 1.6% |
| Light goods vehicles | 101 | 11.30% | 3450 | 8.70% | 9924 | 7.90% | 13475 | 8.1% |
| Heavy goods vehicles | 151 | 16.80% | 851 | 2.20% | 1622 | 1.30% | 2624 | 1.6% |
| Other or unknown vehicles | 41 | 4.60% | 822 | 2.10% | 1943 | 1.50% | 2806 | 1.7% |
| Total | 897 | 39554 | 125853 | 166306 |
Cycling collisions by journey purpose
Almost one fifth of all cycle accidents occurred during a worker’s commute, with a further 6% of accidents happening while someone was cycling as part of their job. Commutes also saw the highest rate of fatal cycling accidents.
With only an estimated 2% of pupils cycling to school, the accident rate among pupils riding to or from school is higher than for other journey purposes. Although various initiatives seek to increase the percentage of pupils who ride to school, care must be taken to understand and mitigate this higher accident rate.
| Cycle accidents by journey purpose (2014-2023) | Fatal | Serious | Slight | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commuting to or from work | 133 | 7602 | 25532 | 33267 | 18.40% |
| Other | 160 | 4888 | 10061 | 15109 | 8.40% |
| Journey as part of work | 32 | 2393 | 8246 | 10671 | 5.90% |
| Pupil riding to or from school | 10 | 831 | 3997 | 4838 | 2.70% |
| Taking pupil to or from school | 1 | 103 | 545 | 649 | 0.40% |
| Unknown | 817 | 30220 | 85280 | 116317 | 64.30% |
| Total number of vehicles | 1153 | 46036 | 133662 | 180851 |
What is the most dangerous month, day and time?
As expected, 2023’s data shows that the most dangerous times of day for cyclists are during the morning and evening commutes, on weekdays.
Cycle accidents are more common in the warmer months when there are more cyclists on the road, with a slight dip in August likely due to school holidays and less commuter traffic. This is consistent with DfT data that suggests that road accidents in general are more common in better weather, when drivers are driving faster and paying less attention to road conditions.
Although this data isn’t surprising, it does underscore how vulnerable cyclists are during busy periods. This is consistent with other data presented in this report, finding that congestion and urban traffic present the biggest risk to cyclists.
Cycle accidents by month (2023)
| Month | Killed | Serious | Slight | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0 | 43 | 255 | 298 | 6% |
| February | 3 | 59 | 259 | 321 | 7% |
| March | 1 | 65 | 289 | 355 | 7% |
| April | 0 | 64 | 274 | 338 | 7% |
| May | 3 | 88 | 380 | 471 | 10% |
| June | 2 | 112 | 475 | 589 | 12% |
| July | 1 | 116 | 342 | 459 | 10% |
| August | 1 | 98 | 330 | 429 | 9% |
| September | 2 | 96 | 370 | 468 | 10% |
| October | 0 | 78 | 322 | 400 | 8% |
| November | 1 | 71 | 313 | 385 | 8% |
| December | 0 | 48 | 233 | 281 | 6% |
Cycle accidents by day of the week (2023)
| Day | Killed | Serious | Slight | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 3 | 87 | 341 | 431 | 9% |
| Monday | 3 | 116 | 543 | 662 | 14% |
| Tuesday | 0 | 146 | 653 | 799 | 17% |
| Wednesday | 3 | 160 | 637 | 800 | 17% |
| Thursday | 2 | 148 | 640 | 790 | 16% |
| Friday | 2 | 179 | 603 | 784 | 16% |
| Saturday | 1 | 102 | 425 | 528 | 11% |
Cycle accidents by time of day (2023)
| Time | Killed | Serious | Slight | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00:00 to 01:00 | 0 | 9 | 28 | 37 | 1% |
| 01:00 to 02:00 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 24 | 1% |
| 02:00 to 03:00 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 18 | 0% |
| 03:00 to 04:00 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 0% |
| 04:00 to 05:00 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 0% |
| 05:00 to 06:00 | 0 | 16 | 36 | 52 | 1% |
| 06:00 to 07:00 | 0 | 18 | 86 | 104 | 2% |
| 07:00 to 08:00 | 1 | 43 | 217 | 261 | 5% |
| 08:00 to 09:00 | 1 | 89 | 399 | 489 | 10% |
| 09:00 to 10:00 | 0 | 63 | 195 | 258 | 5% |
| 10:00 to 11:00 | 1 | 59 | 143 | 203 | 4% |
| 11:00 to 12:00 | 2 | 38 | 159 | 199 | 4% |
| 12:00 to 13:00 | 1 | 57 | 192 | 250 | 5% |
| 13:00 to 14:00 | 2 | 40 | 208 | 250 | 5% |
| 14:00 to 15:00 | 1 | 49 | 178 | 228 | 5% |
| 15:00 to 16:00 | 0 | 68 | 287 | 355 | 7% |
| 16:00 to 17:00 | 1 | 67 | 295 | 363 | 8% |
| 17:00 to 18:00 | 0 | 99 | 386 | 485 | 10% |
| 18:00 to 19:00 | 1 | 63 | 377 | 441 | 9% |
| 19:00 to 20:00 | 0 | 60 | 232 | 292 | 6% |
| 20:00 to 21:00 | 1 | 31 | 152 | 184 | 4% |
| 21:00 to 22:00 | 0 | 29 | 102 | 131 | 3% |
| 22:00 to 23:00 | 0 | 22 | 69 | 91 | 2% |
| 23:00 to 00:00 | 1 | 9 | 45 | 55 | 1% |
What are the most dangerous manoeuvres?
The manoeuver most likely to result in a collision between a cyclist was turning right, where a road user makes a right-hand turn at a junction or onto a side road. Cyclists are particularly vulnerable to oncoming traffic and overtaking vehicles when making these turns.
Moving off, from the roadside or when stationary at a junction, was the second most dangerous manoeuvre for cyclists.
The annual rate of right-turn collisions has fallen by 40% in the last 10 years, but the rate of moving off accidents has seen a 24% increase. An increase in dedicated right-turn lanes, signs and street furniture like mini-roundabouts will account for some of the reduction in these collisions. Advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) like blind spot cameras will have also helped prevent these accidents.
Congestion and distracted drivers will account for the rise in moving off collisions, which are more likely in busier, urban areas.
| Manoeuvre | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 10 year total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reversing | 19 | 13 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 88 |
| Parked | 26 | 29 | 41 | 38 | 31 | 27 | 34 | 34 | 29 | 35 | 324 |
| Waiting to go - held up | 232 | 239 | 242 | 248 | 231 | 248 | 178 | 216 | 185 | 203 | 2222 |
| Slowing or stopping | 438 | 390 | 337 | 355 | 270 | 235 | 321 | 276 | 251 | 223 | 3096 |
| Moving off | 455 | 414 | 482 | 528 | 508 | 570 | 490 | 553 | 566 | 565 | 5131 |
| U-turn | 15 | 17 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 8 | 22 | 13 | 10 | 17 | 142 |
| Turning left | 409 | 407 | 378 | 363 | 314 | 292 | 340 | 334 | 313 | 305 | 3455 |
| Waiting to turn left | 22 | 16 | 32 | 30 | 27 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 25 | 32 | 280 |
| Turning right | 1256 | 1084 | 1106 | 948 | 869 | 844 | 856 | 831 | 787 | 758 | 9339 |
| Waiting to turn right | 150 | 141 | 139 | 161 | 148 | 129 | 103 | 120 | 116 | 121 | 1328 |
| Changing lane to left | 67 | 75 | 56 | 58 | 50 | 47 | 39 | 49 | 38 | 43 | 522 |
| Changing lane to right | 154 | 146 | 152 | 102 | 112 | 93 | 103 | 112 | 91 | 81 | 1146 |
| Overtaking moving vehicle - offside | 218 | 163 | 185 | 164 | 145 | 117 | 112 | 123 | 124 | 119 | 1470 |
| Overtaking static vehicle - offside | 526 | 432 | 401 | 350 | 321 | 265 | 217 | 238 | 201 | 185 | 3136 |
| Overtaking - nearside | 559 | 436 | 413 | 289 | 258 | 228 | 185 | 175 | 192 | 168 | 2903 |
| Going ahead left-hand bend | 385 | 339 | 298 | 291 | 259 | 253 | 276 | 266 | 219 | 212 | 2798 |
| Going ahead right-hand bend | 631 | 544 | 485 | 417 | 378 | 316 | 388 | 329 | 304 | 274 | 4066 |
| Going ahead other | 16416 | 14543 | 14195 | 14053 | 12398 | 11823 | 10999 | 10909 | 10311 | 9668 | 125315 |
| All known manoeuvres | 21978 | 19428 | 18968 | 18415 | 16344 | 15535 | 14699 | 14613 | 13767 | 13014 | 166761 |
| Of which at a junction | 16568 | 14370 | 13790 | 13412 | 12591 | 12268 | 11409 | 11876 | 11479 | 11066 | 128829 |
What are the most dangerous road types?
Although cyclist injury rates have declined across all road types in the last 10 years, there is considerable variation by road type. The rate of serious injuries on rural A roads dropped by 42% between 2014 and 2023, but the serious injury rate on urban non-A roads only declined by 10%.
Rural A roads have seen significant safety improvements in recent years, including better signage, lower speed limits, cameras and cycling lanes. The increase of mixed, motor vehicle traffic on urban roads may account for the greater rate of accidents, with more parked vehicles also decreasing visibility on narrow roads.
| Severity | Killed | Serious injury | Slight injury | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Road type | Urban roads | Rural roads | Urban roads | Rural roads | Urban roads | Rural roads | ||||||
| Road class | A roads | Other roads | A roads | Other roads | A roads | Other roads | A roads | Other roads | A roads | Other roads | A roads | Other roads |
| 2014 | 35 | 20 | 28 | 39 | 1760 | 2129 | 554 | 837 | 6323 | 7583 | 1076 | 1593 |
| 2015 | 31 | 22 | 26 | 33 | 1513 | 2009 | 480 | 826 | 5386 | 6864 | 919 | 1329 |
| 2016 | 29 | 19 | 29 | 32 | 1405 | 1968 | 468 | 773 | 5245 | 6661 | 890 | 1523 |
| 2017 | 30 | 25 | 35 | 27 | 1336 | 2088 | 446 | 739 | 4818 | 7203 | 828 | 1377 |
| 2018 | 34 | 20 | 17 | 38 | 1335 | 2121 | 400 | 738 | 4582 | 6872 | 697 | 1259 |
| 2019 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 45 | 1392 | 1950 | 385 | 702 | 4667 | 6395 | 672 | 1153 |
| 2020 | 24 | 32 | 44 | 49 | 1344 | 1833 | 452 | 877 | 4434 | 5523 | 759 | 1389 |
| 2021 | 21 | 37 | 31 | 34 | 1442 | 1960 | 391 | 767 | 4681 | 5926 | 649 | 1157 |
| 2022 | 23 | 24 | 26 | 24 | 1461 | 1887 | 345 | 662 | 4558 | 5637 | 614 | 1063 |
| 2023 | 22 | 20 | 25 | 29 | 1321 | 1908 | 323 | 687 | 4362 | 5477 | 539 | 948 |
Contributing causes of cycling accidents
Between 2014 and 2023, by far the most common contributing factor to a cycling accident was an error of judgment made by the cyclist or another road user. These errors included failing to look properly before manoeuvring, and misjudging another road user’s path or speed.
Careless and aggressive driving was another significant cause of cycling accidents.
Overall, the data suggests that factors like physical obstructions, road condition, signage and visibility all play a much smaller role in cycle accidents than road users’ mental state and ability.
| Contributing Factors (2014-2023) | Fatal | Serious | Slight | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driver or rider error or reaction | 990 | 34311 | 83377 | 118678 |
| Behaviour or inexperience | 233 | 6783 | 15439 | 22455 |
| Injudicious action | 276 | 6436 | 14146 | 20858 |
| Vision affected by external factors | 108 | 4201 | 10279 | 14588 |
| Impairment or distraction | 311 | 4126 | 7790 | 12227 |
| Road environment contributed | 85 | 2590 | 4226 | 6901 |
| Special codes | 65 | 827 | 3506 | 4398 |
| Pedestrian only (casualty or uninjured) | 22 | 906 | 2394 | 3322 |
| Vehicle defects | 31 | 664 | 1434 | 2129 |
Examples of contributing causes
| Contributing Factor | Examples |
|---|---|
| Driver or rider error or reaction | Driver or Rider failed to look properly; Driver or Rider failed to judge other person`s path or speed; Poor turn or manoeuvre;
Loss of control; Failed to signal or misleading signal; |
| Behaviour or inexperience | Driver or Rider careless, reckless or in a hurry; Aggressive driving; Learner or inexperienced driver or rider; |
| Injudicious action | Cyclist entering road from pavement; Disobeyed 'Give Way' or 'Stop' sign or markings; Travelling too fast for conditions; Following too close; Exceeding speed limit; |
| Vision affected by external factors | Dazzling sun; Stationary or parked vehicle(s);
Vehicle blind spot; Rain, sleet, snow, or fog; Road layout (eg. bend, winding road, hill crest) |
| Impairment or distraction | Rider wearing dark clothing; Driver or Rider impaired by alcohol; Not displaying lights at night or in poor visibility; |
| Road environment contributed | Slippery road (due to weather); Road layout (eg. bend, hill, narrow road); Poor or defective road surface; Deposit on road (eg. oil, mud, chippings); Inadequate or masked signs or road markings; Animal or object in carriageway |
| Special codes | Vehicle door opened or closed negligently; Vehicle in course of crime; Emergency vehicle on a call; Stolen vehicle |
| Pedestrian only (casualty or uninjured) | Pedestrian failed to look properly; Pedestrian careless, reckless or in a hurry; Pedestrian failed to look properly; Crossing road masked by stationary or parked vehicle; Pedestrian wrong use of pedestrian crossing facility; Pedestrian wearing dark clothing at night; Pedestrian impaired by alcohol |
| Vehicle defects | Defective brakes; Defective lights or indicators; Tyres illegal, defective or under inflated; Defective steering or suspension |
Hospital admissions
Although cyclist injuries have generally fallen (both in raw numbers, and as a percentage of cycle traffic on UK roads), hospital admissions for injured cyclists have increased significantly. Between 2004 and 2020, admissions increased by 54%.
| Year | Pedal Cyclist admissions | Casualties | % of casualties admitted | Traffic[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 6413 | 16648 | 39% | 2.59 |
| 2005 | 6877 | 16561 | 42% | 2.73 |
| 2006 | 6588 | 16196 | 41% | 2.86 |
| 2007 | 6637 | 16195 | 41% | 2.62 |
| 2008 | 7030 | 16297 | 43% | 2.93 |
| 2009 | 7896 | 17064 | 46% | 3.06 |
| 2010 | 7900 | 17185 | 46% | 3.1 |
| 2011 | 8836 | 19215 | 46% | 3.17 |
| 2012 | 8140 | 19091 | 43% | 3.35 |
| 2013 | 8868 | 19438 | 46% | 3.24 |
| 2014 | 9174 | 21287 | 43% | 3.59 |
| 2015 | 8982 | 18844 | 48% | 3.37 |
| 2016 | 9071 | 18477 | 49% | 3.36 |
| 2017 | 9026 | 18321 | 49% | 3.46 |
| 2018 | 8481 | 17550 | 48% | 3.52 |
| 2019 | 8452 | 16883 | 50% | 3.63 |
| 2020 | 9894 | 16294 | 61% | 5.3 |
[1] Traffic represents the number of billion miles travelled by cycle on UK roads.
Cycling accidents by region
In the past decade (2014-2023), London has the highest rate of cycling injuries per 1000 journeys, at 2%. Although the population of the West Midlands is comparable to the East of England and the South West, the injury rate was much higher.
By population, the South East has the worst cycling injury rate, with Scotland having the lowest.
| Region | Fatal | Serious | Slight | Total | Population (est.) | Journeys (millions) [1] | Injury rate per 1000 journeys | Rate per population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North East | 30 | 1298 | 3836 | 5164 | 2683040 | 319 | 1.60% | 0.19% |
| North West | 123 | 5288 | 11725 | 17136 | 7516113 | 1006 | 1.70% | 0.23% |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 105 | 4207 | 11281 | 15593 | 5541262 | 778 | 2.00% | 0.28% |
| East Midlands | 114 | 3073 | 7697 | 10884 | 4934939 | 711 | 1.50% | 0.22% |
| West Midlands | 84 | 2315 | 8264 | 10663 | 6021653 | 628 | 1.70% | 0.18% |
| East of England | 115 | 3599 | 11284 | 14998 | 6398497 | 1409 | 1.10% | 0.23% |
| London | 88 | 8367 | 39454 | 47909 | 8866180 | 2049 | 2.30% | 0.54% |
| South East | 184 | 8084 | 19778 | 28046 | 9379833 | 1773 | 1.60% | 0.30% |
| South West | 82 | 3200 | 10585 | 13867 | 5764881 | 1094 | 1.30% | 0.24% |
| Wales | 50 | 1369 | 2732 | 4151 | 3169586 | - | - | 0.13% |
| Scotland | 70 | 2380 | 3945 | 6395 | 5466000 | - | - | 0.12% |
| Northern Ireland | 18 | 568 | 2363 | 2949 | 1895510 | - | - | 0.16% |
[1] Journeys are defined as an individual journey or part of a journey where a cycle was used to make that stage.
See also:
Cycling injury compensation claims
Citations
Reported road casualties: Pedal cycle factsheet 2023 (Department for Transport)
Reported road casualties annual report 2023 (Department for Transport)