Cycling Accident Statistics You Must Know

Cycling is one of the most common modes of transportation in the UK. But it can also be extremely dangerous, and thousands of people are injured in cycling accidents every year.

According to the Department for Transport, pedal cycle traffic has increased by 50% since 2004, and serious injuries to pedal cyclists have increased by 21%.

In this guide, we’ll examine some of the statistics of reported road casualties regarding cycling accidents that you should know, such as how many cyclists have been fatally injured and what the main causes of bicycle accidents are. We will also discuss what steps you should take immediately after you have been involved in a cycling accident.

Not all pedal cyclist fatalities or injuries are the fault of the cyclist. Alongside important cycling accident statistics, we’ll also discuss how an experienced road traffic accident solicitor could help you claim compensation if you were injured in a cycling accident.

A bike and a helmet lay abandoned in the road after a crash

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Read on to learn more about cycling accident statistics, or get in touch with our team of advisors today.

They can answer any questions you might have about how to make a cycling accident claim, and can offer more information on the benefits of making a claim with a No Win No Fee solicitor.

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Browse Our Guide

  1. Must Know Cycling Accident Statistics
  2. Cycling Accident Statistics On How Many Cyclists Are Killed Each Year
  3. What Is The Main Cause Of Bicycle Accidents?
  4. What To Do Immediately After A Bike Accident
  5. Find Out More About Cycling Accidents

Must Know Cycling Accident Statistics

A graph showing pedal cyclist injuries in 2022

In their most recent pedal cyclist fact sheet illustrating cyclist accident statistics, the Department for Transport noted that in 2022, 91 cyclists were killed in cycling accidents.

Alongside this, 4,056 pedal cyclists were seriously injured, and 11,546 were only slightly injured. You can see these statistics illustrated in the chart above.

How Many Cyclists Are On The Roads?

According to the fact sheet, the number of cyclists on the roads had declined each year from 2014 to 2020. However, there was a large increase between 2020 and 2022.

This could have been for a number of reasons, including the COVID pandemic and increasing social awareness of causes like climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.

Read on to learn more about cycling accident statistics, or contact our team to find out if you could make a bicycle accident claim.

Cyclist Injured By Age And Gender

According to the Department of Transport, between 2018 and 2022, 82% of pedal cyclist injuries were caused by males, compared to 18% by females. This means that there were 5 times more male pedal cyclists injured than females.

Additionally, the statistics show that the majority of male cyclist casualties were aged between 40-49 (15%) and also 50-59 (15%). For women, this was between the ages of 40-49 (4%).

If you have been injured as a cyclist in a road traffic accident, you can contact our team of advisors to see how we may be able to help.

Cycling Accident Statistics On How Many Cyclists Are Killed Each Year

A graph showing the number of cyclists killed each year between 2012-2022

Above, you can see a graph illustrating the number of reported cyclist deaths in road collisions each year between 2012 and 2022.

The Department of Transport’s most recent road traffic accident fact sheet shows that in 2023, pedal cyclists made up 5% of fatalities in road traffic accidents.

However, this has shown the largest decline amongst other vehicles involved in the studies, at 22% cyclist fatalities less than the year before.

You can contact our team to see how we could help regarding pedal cycle fatalities if you have lost a loved one.

What Is The Main Cause Of Bicycle Accidents?

A graph illustrating cycling accident statistics, specifically the different causes of cycling accidents

The graph above has taken data from the pedal cyclist fact sheet to show the top five causes of fatal or serious cycling accidents between 2018 and 2022.

The number one most common cause of cycling accidents occurred as a result of either the driver or rider failing to properly look where they were going. This could include cyclists being hit by a car door, or failure to look and being hit at a junction.

This kind of accident accounted for over double the second most common, which was the driver or rider failing to judge the other party’s path or speed.

The third most common reason for cycling accidents was recklessness or carelessness on the part of the driver or rider, followed closely by cyclists entering the road from the pavement.

Poor turns or manoeuvres by drivers or cyclists were attributed as the fifth most common cause.

Where Do Most Cycling Accidents Happen?

Interestingly, 56% of fatal cycling casualties occur in rural areas, as opposed to urban areas. However, for serious casualties and slight casualties, most occurred in urban areas at 75% and 85%, respectively.

For the purposes of the reports that we pulled these cycling accident statistics from, an urban road is defined as a road within an area with a population of 10,000 or more in England and Wales, or 3,000 in Scotland.

If you were injured in a cycling accident that wasn’t your fault, you may be due compensation. Contact our team today to learn more, or read on to learn more about cycling accidents.

A man sits in the road and clutches his knee in pain after a cycling accident

What To Do Immediately After A Bike Accident

If you’ve been injured in a bike accident, the first step you should take is to seek immediate medical attention. This will not only ensure that you get all the help and treatment that you need, but it can also benefit you if you want to make a compensation claim later on down the line. This is because it will create a medical record of the injuries you have suffered and what treatment they required.

If you were involved in a cycling accident with a motorist, you should also note their details, such as their name, registration number, and insurance provider. You could also report the accident to the police.

If you have been involved in a bicycle accident, we recommend speaking to a legal expert. Our advisors are on hand to help whenever you need them and can answer any questions you may have about making a bicycle accident claim during a free consultation.

During this consultation, they will evaluate each aspect of your case, and decide whether or not you could have a valid claim. If you do, then they could put you in touch with an expert road traffic accident solicitor on our panel.

A solicitor sits behind a wooden desk with a golden scales in front of him

How Could A Solicitor Help Me?

Our panel of expert road traffic accident solicitors can help in a number of ways. For example, a solicitor can help you prove your claim by gathering evidence, such as requesting CCTV or dashcam footage, arranging for you to undergo an independent medical assessment, and talking to witnesses.

Plus, when you work with a solicitor from our panel, they’ll ask you to sign a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). By signing this contract, your solicitor can provide their services to you on a No Win No Fee basis.

This means that you won’t need to pay any upfront fees for them to start their work. And, if your claim isn’t successful, then your solicitor won’t ask you to pay them for their work on the case.

If your claim is a success, then your solicitor will take a success fee. They deduct this fee from your compensation as a percentage, which is legally capped at 25%. When you are discussing the terms of your claim, you and your solicitor will agree on this percentage before the claim starts.

Speak To An Expert

Contact our team of friendly advisors today to learn more about how we could help you with making a personal injury claim. They can assess the eligibility of your case and offer you free advice. Additionally, they can answer any questions you may have about the claiming process.

Find Out More About Cycling Accidents

We hope our guide has answered any questions you might have had about cycling accident statistics. If you’d like to learn more, contact our team, or take a look at the resources below.

External Resources

Cycling Accident Guides

Thank you for reading our guide on cycling accident statistics. Contact our advisors today to see how we could help you if you have been injured in a cycling accident.