43 per cent rise in cycling casualties in Waltham Forest

THE number of cyclists killed and injured on the roads of Waltham Forest reached a five-year high last year, new figures have revealed.

There were a total of 93 bicycle casualties in the borough in 2009, compared with 65 in 2008 - a rise of 43 per cent - according to the data from Transport for London (TfL).

It comes despite a fall in the number of pedestrians, motorcyclists and car drivers injured during the same period.

No one should be surprised that cycling injuries seem to be on the rise everywhere in Britain, as cyclists are now exposed to more risk than ever in the dangerous world of vehicular cycling.

Yesterday’s Bike Biz carried these headlines:

Serious cyclist injuries drop in Scotland
Figures indicate long-term improving road safety

Which is a case of uncritically accepting the spin which is always put on road casualty figures. Look a little harder and you’ll find this:

The number of people injured on Scotland's roads has dropped to its lowest level in 60 years, new statistics have suggested.

The only categories which showed a year-on-year rise were motorcyclist fatalities and cyclist casualties.

Kathleen Braidwood, road safety officer for RoSPA Scotland, said that the number of cyclists injured was now at a "disappointing" 10-year high.