Road Safety Week, exactly as it suggests, is a week to promote safe use of roads and take steps towards making them safer.
Road safety is aimed at all road users, drivers, pedestrians and of course, cyclists. With the various lockdowns in 2020, the number of individuals taking up cycling increased dramatically. Government statistics on cycling accidents [1] suggest that the number of accidents fell in 2020, which could be at least partly because those same lockdowns reduced the number of cars and other vehicles on the road.
But now as things are returning to normality over the course of 2021 and going into 2022, it will be interesting to see what happens to these statistics; both whether the higher number of cyclists remains higher and also whether the number of cycling-involved road accidents increase again.
Importantly for those who are out cycling, even accidents occurring at low speed can cause serious injuries to the cyclists. Getting medical care and rehabilitation as fast as possible is critical for those injuries. When conducting a personal injury claim, it is generally easier to claim early financial support with this if it can be shown that a cyclist was not at fault when they were out on the road.
It is therefore essential that those taking up cycling do so safely and are aware of their surroundings when on the road. The Highway Code includes specific rules for cyclists which can be found here. These rules are the starting point when highlighting that a road user was at fault in the event of an accident.
If you have a serious or catastrophic accident on the road whilst cycling, please get in touch with our experienced Personal Injury team for advice on 0345 646 0406 or fill in our online enquiry form and a member of our Team will be in touch.
[1] Gov.UK ‘National Statistics Reported road casualties in Great Britain: pedal cycle factsheet, 2020’ Published 30 September 2021 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-pedal-cyclist-factsheet-2020/reported-road-casualties-in-great-britain-pedal-cycle-factsheet-2020