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Cycle Casualties: The true cause

Beware statistics!

Recent newspaper publicity suggests that cycling has become dramatically more hazardous. This claim is based on year on year Department of Transport figures: a comparison between 2010 and 2011.

The DoT  includes a caveat in its Report to the effect that ‘no single quarter’s figures should be taken in isolation, especially if they appear to show a change in trend, as there are quarter to quarter fluctuations particularly in the smaller categories of road user’.

Some recent reporting seems to have overlooked this warning.

Taken over a far longer period, 15 years from the 1994/8 average, there’s been a reduction of 44{9b4a2c8832b2482ca7eb937f6bfa363e1f3f7cb05e1b42927da41c9eadde8c32} in cycling fatalities, despite an increase of 20{9b4a2c8832b2482ca7eb937f6bfa363e1f3f7cb05e1b42927da41c9eadde8c32} in miles cycled.

The 1994-98 average was 24385 reported fatal or injury cycle accidents from the 2.5 billion miles travelled.

By 2010 the casualties reduced to 17185 over 3.1 billion miles travelled. There was a 1{9b4a2c8832b2482ca7eb937f6bfa363e1f3f7cb05e1b42927da41c9eadde8c32} increase in pedal cycle traffic 2009-10.

Of these, 1088 cited ‘cyclist entering road from pavement’ and 381 as ‘cyclist wearing dark clothing at night’ as contributory causes. Salutary lesson.

Historically:

           Vehicles licensed  Cyclists killed
1950            4.4m                   805
1960            9.4m                   679
1970             15m                   373
1980          19.2m                   302
1990          24.7m                   256
2000          28.9m                   127
2010          34.2m                   111 

So perhaps a consideration of the wider picture is in order before we jump to the conclusion that taking to two wheels ranks alongside what statistically is the most dangerous recreational activity currently: cheerleading.

Collisions are not chance events

That said, there are still far, far too many incidents in which cyclists are needlessly injured.

Any accident, injury or nor, is one too many because its going to raise the apprehension level in the cyclist involved and be a potential barrier to their continued participation or the uptake of cycling by a friend or relative.

These are collisions and they have a cause. They are only accidents in the sense that, in the main, they are not intentional.  An accident is defined as a chance event, something which happens without assignable cause.

During the course of investigating hundreds of incidents involving cyclists and other road users over the past twenty years, almost none have turned out to be without an identifiable cause.

Thus, the overwhelming majority of collisions in which cyclists are involved are not chance events but are foreseeable and therefore preventable.

The costs of an injury collision in human, social and economic terms are staggering.  If the collision is the stone thrown into a pond, the ripples will, potentially, affect the victim, their family, friends and relations, witnesses, the Police, the ambulance and hospital services, consultants and therapists, the insurers, accident investigators, lawyers and the courts. The ripples may take years before they finally vanish. Sometimes, if the victim has been maimed, they never do.

The causes of these collisions are a combination of inattention, impatience, attitude and a lack of anticipation of the road conditions or foresight of the consequences of a collision. The most frequently reported contributory factor is ‘failed to look properly’; ‘failure to judge the other person’s path or speed’ was the next.

The five main circumstances of collisions are roundabouts, junctions on the left, on-coming vehicles turning right, overtaking (or more accurately, a failure to overtake) and vehicle doors opening.

Less common is inappropriate speed which is usually a result of a failure to anticipate a situation which might develop.

The Trucking Issue

Those of a certain age may recall the Trucking Song (and accompanying video) performed by one R Atkinson and others (including a number of hedgehogs) in the 1980s. The ‘trophy’ stickers affixed to the cab door included, as well the prickly animal, a row of cycles. In some ways heartening to think (I hope!) that this wouldn’t be considered quite as comical 25 years later.

Although the majority of collisions involve cars, it’s unsurprising,  that while the number of incidents involving large goods vehicles are less, the proportion of deaths and grievous injuries is  13{9b4a2c8832b2482ca7eb937f6bfa363e1f3f7cb05e1b42927da41c9eadde8c32} (cars) compared with 31{9b4a2c8832b2482ca7eb937f6bfa363e1f3f7cb05e1b42927da41c9eadde8c32} (lgv). 

While it ought to be (fairly) obvious that a LGV is a ‘dangerous substance’ for all kinds of reasons (size, weight, exposed parts, absence of deformable structure, driver insulation, noise) and therefore something to which an even wider berth ought to be given, the consequences of irrational (careless, aggressive, dangerous or reckless) driving is inevitably going to have dramatically more serious consequences.

The road haulage industry is becoming ever more monitored and regulated; currently it’s Certificates of Professional Competence for both new and existing drivers that are ruffling feathers.

Under the Driver CPC, almost all C and D licence holders must complete 35 hours of periodic training every 5 years to maintain their Driver Qualification Card. If the relevant licence was held on 10 September 2009, the deadline is September 2014.

There has been a slow take up.  This may be due simply to inertia. However, the proportion of drivers currently lacking qualifications equivalent to five good GCSEs is almost double that of UK industry generally.

Given the consequences of forty tonnes getting away at even 40 mph, there must be grounds for a scale of penalties commensurate with the havoc an LGV can wreak.

Sadly, some specifics.

Ten seconds thought brings to mind three fatals, two serious (head) injury incidents and one potentially fatal crush collision all involving ‘vocational’ licence holders, as truck and bus drivers may be called. Four involved misjudged overtakes, one distraction/failure to observe and one failure to anticipate coupled with excess speed.

Of the overtakes, one was pure impatience. A bulk tanker driver decided to try to pass a tandem where there was simply insufficient room in the prevailing conditions resulting in a dismount and the death of the ‘stoker’. The Coroner’s inquest included the astonishing finding that the cyclists ought to have been using a cycle lane marked on the pavement.  The inference was that by not using the facility the deceased and his companion had contributed to the tragedy. The implied suggestion that it’s somehow ‘open season’ for cyclists not using a cycle lane (no matter how inappropriate) was fortunately reversed in the civil damages claim brought by the family of the deceased.  Worryingly the Police did not prosecute the tanker driver……

Two ABI (acquired brain injury) cases involved LGVs overtaking cyclists on a dual carriageway. In one, the driver admitted to seeing the cyclist but inexplicably did not attempt to move from lane 1 into lane 2 when overtaking, even though lane 2 was clear of traffic. This was not inattention; straightforward idleness combined with a lamentably dismissive attitude to the consequences of a collision. Four years on the cyclist (who is permanently afflicted) is not going to return to his former employment as a systems analyst.

The second involved a cyclist on an urban dual carriageway in Bristol (who had been there to be seen for nearly half a minute a minute) yet the LGV driver was paying more attention to what was happening on the nearby airfield.
Finally, a case in the courts currently involves a 7.5 tonne LGV attempting to overtake a cyclist on a roundabout, both parties aiming for the same (the first) exit. The cyclist was somehow caught up by the overtaking vehicle and is very lucky to be alive due to serious crush injuries.

Conclusion: no amount of sensors, warning buzzers, mirrors or under-ride protection would have made one jot of difference in any of these collisions.

Solutions?

What would have made the difference is attitude, education, awareness, patience and an understanding of the consequences of colliding with a cyclist. Three lives lost, three irreparably changed. OK, so in a couple maybe the driver felt the cyclist was in the wrong. That’s a reason to expose him (all these cases involved males) to the risk of death or serious, life changing injury? Something to include in the CPC syllabus perhaps?

The penalty in these circumstances has to reflect the irresponsible failure to contemplate the consequences of a particular piece of driving. If that means the loss of a vocational licence, so be it. If the drivers knew their licences were on the line, there’d be a change in attitude. It worked with drink driving.

Misconceptions

The most frequently reported contributory factor (in 38{9b4a2c8832b2482ca7eb937f6bfa363e1f3f7cb05e1b42927da41c9eadde8c32} of all incidents reported to the Police) was failing to look properly. However, cyclists are by no means absolved from a degree of contribution here as a quarter of accidents involving cyclists included an allegation of poor observations by the cyclist.

Cyclists’ main cause of their own downfall is entering the road from the pavement without adequate checks closely followed by wearing dark clothing at night. Really.

I shudder at the degree of protection some of us seem to believe accrues through use of ASL’s and on-carriageway cycle lanes. Vehicles vault crash barriers; a bit of contrastingly coloured road surface is not going to protect anyone. Use them by all means, but do not develop a sense on invulnerability. If a driver wants to make a bit of progress or avoid a collision with another vehicle, then how persuasive is that lane going to be? So anticipation and observations must never lapse.

Helmets

In terms of injury, 37{9b4a2c8832b2482ca7eb937f6bfa363e1f3f7cb05e1b42927da41c9eadde8c32} of cyclists admitted to hospital had head or face injuries. In comparison, motorcyclists were 16{9b4a2c8832b2482ca7eb937f6bfa363e1f3f7cb05e1b42927da41c9eadde8c32} head and face.  While accepting the fundamental differences in design criteria between cycle and motorcycle helmets, there’s an inescapable truth here. The only higher group was pedestrians.

In Bikeability training, I’d prefer to teach a child without a helmet than with a badly adjusted or poor fitting one. The child holding the bars with one hand and steadying the helmet with the other is not a receptive pupil! So buy a helmet, use a helmet, but most importantly, take the time and trouble to learn how to fit it, adjust it and maintain its fitting. It may take an hour. Big deal. You’re dead for much longer.

40{9b4a2c8832b2482ca7eb937f6bfa363e1f3f7cb05e1b42927da41c9eadde8c32} of the youngsters (0 to 15) had head/face injuries. Given the impact that such injuries may have upon education and development, one has to think very carefully before discarding children’s helmets, cool or no.

And the Answers are…..?

Cyclists  cannot argue that they are wholly wronged by the rest of the road using population. Defensive cycling if practised together with a sensible appraisal of one’s own well being (clothing, lights) will go a long way to ensuring survival. It’s the incident completely out of the cyclist’s hands which are the most worrying. Reduction here comes down to training, education, tolerance and penalties.

The metropolitan areas: Greater London, Manchester, West Midlands and West Yorkshire  make up four of the five locations with the highest casualty rate, but against that factors including population, road type, miles covered and average speed/journey time need to be factored in before one area can be identified as “more dangerous” than another.

The combination of high traffic volume, low average speed and consequent high journey times probably holds the key to explaining increased risk.

Bear in mind the cause “failed to look properly”; when traffic speeds are slow due to congestion, impatience sets in. Manoeuvres are made more hastily to make that bit of progress. Unfortunately, given high traffic density, vision is often restricted. Therefore, there is less time to take information in and a restricted field of vision from which to take it. At 15 mph a cyclist is travelling at 22 feet per second. That’s one and a half car’s lengths. The average reaction time is between one and two seconds.

Not too difficult, therefore to understand how collisions occur in areas where visibility is restricted.

One answer to reducing casualty rates must therefore be educating road users, especially those in cars, buses and LGVs, to anticipate and to hold back. The increase in journey time by seconds or minutes  is not great in the overall scheme. The attempt to save that time may (and does) have tragic consequences.

Give Cyclists a Second’s Chance.

For more information about our services or to start your claim, call 0808 100 9995 and speak to one of our specialist solicitors. We’re here to help. You can email us or schedule a callback.

Written By:

Test Name

Personal Injury Solicitor

Marcus manages a caseload of claims from commencement to conclusion. He qualified as a Solicitor in 2002 and has since gained extensive experience in personal injury law. 

What Marcus enjoys most about his work is the satisfaction that comes from winning claims and ensuring that his clients receive the justice they deserve. He takes great pleasure in advocating for his clients, providing them with the legal support they need to stand up against powerful corporations. His commitment to his clients and his ability to secure positive outcomes have earned him a reputation for excellence in his field.

Marcus Doxey

Personal Injury Solicitor

Marcus manages a caseload of claims from commencement to conclusion. He qualified as a Solicitor in 2002 and has since gained extensive experience in personal injury law. 

What Marcus enjoys most about his work is the satisfaction that comes from winning claims and ensuring that his clients receive the justice they deserve. He takes great pleasure in advocating for his clients, providing them with the legal support they need to stand up against powerful corporations. His commitment to his clients and his ability to secure positive outcomes have earned him a reputation for excellence in his field.

Kallen Jenkin

Personal injury Solicitor

Having qualified as a solicitor in January 2024, Kallen brings with him over five years of experience running personal injury and clinical negligence cases. His experience spans EL/PL, road traffic accidents, accidents abroad, professional negligence, cosmetic and dental claims. His work involves both fast track and multi-track claims.

Kallen is also skilled in advocacy, having represented clients in various hearings, including pre-action disclosure applications, interim applications, stage 3 hearings, infant approval hearings, and case management conferences. 

Timothy Shaw

Personal Injury Solicitor

Tim is a highly experienced Solicitor with 29 years of post-qualification experience, specialising in claims involving accidents at work, slips, trips, falls, and defective product claims. 

Admitted as a solicitor in 1995, Tim has dedicated his career to securing fair outcomes for his clients. He thrives on the unique challenges each case presents and is passionate about achieving justice for those who have suffered injury. His extensive experience also allows him to mentor and support less-experienced colleagues. 

Rachel Cook

Personal Injury Solicitor

Rachel manages cases efficiently from the outset, striving to secure the best possible outcomes for her clients. With six years of experience in personal injury law, her meticulous approach to her work allows her to make a meaningful difference in her clients’ lives. 

Rachel takes pride in streamlining access to legal aid for the public while forming strong relationships with a diverse array of clients. Her dedication to championing justice and supporting her clients underpins everything she does in her legal career. 

Jayne Orme

Associate & Personal Injury Solicitor

Jayne is the Associate Solicitor and Team Leader in our Two-wheel team. She has worked in personal injury law for nearly 20 years.

She has successfully represented hundreds of clients during her career and is committed to helping motorcyclists who have been involved in non-fault accidents receive the compensation they deserve.

David Brown

Chartered Legal Executive

David brings over 15 years of expertise to his role, from handling claims on behalf of employees following accidents at work and acting on behalf of members of the public

David’s enjoyment in his work stems from the involvement in investigations of accidents and the quantifying of claims, highlighting his passion for delivering justice and fair compensation to his clients. Additionally, his experience of working for defendants gives him valuable insight into common defendant legal tactics.  

David’s dedication to his role, combined with his wealth of experience and commitment to continuous improvement, makes him a valuable asset to the team and a trusted advocate for his clients. 

Joe Johnson

Senior Litigation Executive

Joe has over 10 years’ experience in law, with eight of those being spent working on personal injury claims.

He is motivated by helping people and enjoys that his role enables him to support clients that are most in need of it. As well as this, rehabilitation plays a huge role in a person’s journey from beginning a claim to successfully achieving a settlement. Joe finds great value in providing his clients with vital access to rehabilitation, treatment and financial support following an accident. 

Tasneem Shaffa

Senior Litigation Executive

Tasneem is a Senior Litigation Executive with over 7 years of experience in personal injury cases. She expertly guides claimants through the litigation process to ensure a successful outcome for their personal injury claims. With experience in both defendant and claimant work, she has a unique perspective that allows her to approach claims from both sides, giving her the insight needed to secure the best possible result for her clients.

Tasneem is passionate about achieving positive outcomes and enjoys building strong relationships with her clients, supporting them throughout their claims process.

Keith Edwards

Two Wheel Team Leader

With 20 years of experience in litigation, Keith specialises in representing vulnerable road users. As a keen motorcyclist, Keith is often found racing in the Supermoto British Championship and enjoying motorcycle tours all across the world. In addition to this, he also loves mountain biking and regularly enjoys getting involved in this hobby with a local club.  

His passion for motorcycles and cycling has only further driven his focus on litigation, where he thrives in contested cases. Two-wheel claims often require litigation, and Keith enjoys the challenge of helping clients secure favourable settlements. 

Clare Jenkins

Team Leader & Chartered Legal Executive

With over 30 years of experience in personal injury law, Clare finds great satisfaction in researching and rebutting the arguments put forth by insurers and defendants. As a team leader, she also enjoys working with her team, providing support and mentorship, discussing cases, and exchanging ideas. 

Despite her extensive experience, Clare still relishes the opportunity to learn new things, exploring how new case law or legislation impacts the claims process. She is committed to supporting clients and ensuring their journey through the claims process is as smooth as possible. Clare thrives in a collaborative environment and takes pride in bringing out the best in her teams.  

Linda Medhurst

Team Leader & Chartered Legal Executive

Linda boasts over 30 years’ experience working in the legal industry with a wealth of expertise in personal injury law.  

Linda’s extensive experience has made her a tenacious and passionate advocate for her clients, known for her efficiency and friendly service, coupled with a professional and firm approach. Her commitment to her clients is unwavering and she prides herself on the fact that many of her clients return and recommend her to their families and friends.

As a team leader, Linda is passionate about empowering here team to grow and further develop their skillsets. She is a natural problem solver and thrives in an environment where her team is feeling fulfilled, and their career needs nurtured.

Nicola Kenyon

Personal Injury Solicitor & Team Leader

Nicola is an experienced Solicitor and Team Leader in our Personal Injury team. She has a vast wealth of knowledge and experience and is dedicated to advocating for her clients and achieving the best possible outcomes for their cases.

Nicola finds great satisfaction in helping her clients navigate their legal challenges and securing favourable results on their behalf. Beyond her casework, as a team leader, Nicola is deeply committed to supporting and mentoring her colleagues, empowering them to reach their full potential and achieve their professional goals. Her dedication to team leadership reflects her belief in fostering a collaborative and supportive work environment. 

Sadie Wilkinson

Team Leader

Sadie is a dedicated Team Leader, managing a team of solicitors, fee earners, and paralegals while also handling a complex caseload of 70 employer’s liability and public liability (ELPL) claims. 

She fosters a positive and supportive working environment for her team, closely monitoring key performance indicators and provides guidance and support to ensure the team meets its objectives. In addition to leadership responsibilities, she manages a demanding caseload of ELPL fast-track claims, consistently working to tight deadlines and adapting to the unexpected challenges that arise in litigation. 

Stephen Hussey

Head of Personal Injury

Stephen is the Head of Personal Injury in our Southport & Liverpool offices and manages a number of teams. With over 20 years of legal experience, he thrives on working with likeminded lawyers who are committed to doing their utmost to provide the best possible service for our clients.   

Stephen has years of experience working on a wide range of claims, including accidents and injuries that were sustained on the highway, the workplace, or a public place. This could be a road traffic accident, a job gone wrong on a building site or a fall in a supermarket. 

Jenny Stevenson

Associate & Head of Personal Injury

Jenny runs her own case load of injury claims and manages a team of over ten other legal professionals. She has been a fully qualified solicitor for over 23 years, over 19 years of which she has spent working on personal injury claims.

She is passionate about her work and enjoys learning about various medical matters and industries. She is driven by to the desire to make a difference to peoples’ lives, helping them gain access to treatment and knowing that their settlement will help them in the future.

Victoria Martin

Associate Solicitor

Victoria is an Associate Solicitor in our serious injury team, with over 26 years of experience. She represents cycling clients who have suffered catastrophic, life-changing injuries in a two-wheel collision. Victoria is passionate about the recovery and wellbeing of her clients, and offers support not only through the lifetime of the case, but throughout the rehabilitation process too.

Emily Pheysey

Litigation Executive

Emily has over 7 years of experience in the legal sector, handling road traffic accident claims to recover compensation and support her clients. Her focus is to ensure all clients feel comfortable and at ease with the claims process so that they can focus on their recovery.

Emily considers rapport to be an essential part of the role and strives to always provide excellent client care.

Away from work, Emily enjoys spending time with her family and friends and travelling as much possible.

Diane Holderness

Litigation Executive

Diane is a Ministry of Justice (TOJ) Team Leader within our Cycle Department. She has 11 years’ experience managing road traffic accident claims, and 6 years’ experience managing MOJ claims.

Diane enjoys a challenge and always strives for the very best results for her customers; something that is clear in the way her team continually adapts its strategies in order to secure the most desired outcome. Diane has worked her way through the legal ranks here, and is proud to now have a strong, specialist team that is committed to customer satisfaction.

Diane believes that happy clients make a happy working environment, and it is this that ensures a productive and efficient workforce.

Nina Haddock

Chartered Legal Executive

Nina has over 30 years’ experience in the legal sector. She specialises in recovering compensation for injury claimants as a result of road traffic accidents. Her focus for each and every claim is to help her clients secure the funding that they need to pay for ongoing treatment and support.

Nina became a CILEX Fellow in 2006 and now helps her clients and their families at a time when they have been through a traumatic experience, and everything they hold dear to them appears to be changing.

One case Nina is particularly proud of is supporting a client who had successfully sought asylum in the UK, following a road traffic accident. The claim was successfully pursued through the MIB and the client was left with significant injuries. Her client was able to use the compensation to aid family members with their applications to seek asylum in the UK.

Julian Fox

Cycling Accident Solicitor

Julian qualified as a Solicitor in 2005 and has worked in all areas of personal injury since 2000. Julian has a well-rounded understanding of personal injury law, having represented both claimants and defendants.

Julian always aims for maximum damages to meet his clients’ needs for injury and rehabilitation expenses, and can often secure interim payments to help meet clients’ financial needs. Julian is highly proactive in ensuring cases are progressed, ensuring a timely conclusion.

When not at the office, Julian is a keen cyclist, both on roads and virtually -he will often do an hour of ‘Zwifting’ in the mornings before starting work.

Richard Atherton

Cycling Accident Solicitor

Richard has 12 years of legal experience and qualified as a Solicitor in February 2014. He has been a Team Manager with us since 2019. Throughout his career, Richard has specialised in personal injury, handling an array of Road Traffic Accident cases, in addition to employer and public liability.

Richard prides himself on his very strong strategic and planning skills, which come into their own in complex injury cases where more technical arguments are involved. On every case, he is committed to ensuring that his clients receive full compensation for their injuries.

Away from work, Richard enjoys sport; he is a season ticket holder at St Helens Rugby Club and a Liverpool FC fan. Not only a spectator, Richard also likes going to play golf as often as he can.

Dave Gardner

Litigation Executive

Dave has over 20 years of experience in the legal sector. His specialism is personal injury and he has dealt with hundreds of cycling injury claims during his career. Excellent client care and communication is paramount to Dave. He prides himself on being accessible and available, attending court hearings where damages are in dispute to ensure the best outcome for his clients. One case Dave is particularly proud of is when he supported an elderly client who suffered serious injuries following a road traffic incident. The police had not taken any action against the defendant, so Dave had to be proactive and act within a 24-hour window. The case proceeded and the client was in receipt of £30,000 in damages, which he would not have been entitled to had the client not approached Dave. He is also an avid supporter of Glasgow Rangers and travelled abroad on many occasions to see them play in European competitions.

Lena Farnell

Specialist Cycling Lawyer

Lena is a specialist cycling lawyer at Cycle SOS. She derives great satisfaction from helping people who have been victims of accidents, recognising the traumatic impact such events can have on their lives. She is particularly proud of the strong relationships she has built with her clients and the results she has obtained on behalf of injured cyclists. 

Julia Eyton

Partner

Julia brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Cycle SOS team.

Specialising in representing those who have had life changing injuries, Julia handles some of the most serious and complex personal injury cases both within Cycle SOS and nationally.

She often works on high value claims and is skilled in winning complex liability cases.

NADIA KERR

Partner

Nadia has over 30 years of legal expertise and has represented hundreds of vulnerable road users. With a focus on ensuring timely rehabilitation, speedy repair or replacement of bikes and kit, and securing fair compensation, Nadia is committed to advocating for justice and client rights. Alongside her legal career, Nadia actively participates in national campaigns to benefit vulnerable road users and acts as a Trustee/Director for the national cycling charity, Cycling UK. Nadia was named in Cycling UK’s ‘100 women’ and was a founding member, now running a women’s cycling group, TeamGlow in South Manchester. Among her many achievements, Nadia takes pride in her spot on BBC Breakfast, where she provided expert commentary on long term government funding for pothole repairs.

Caroline Morris

DIRECTOR OF SERIOUS INJURY

Caroline has specialised in personal injury for over 25 years, recovering more than £56 million in damages during that time, to help clients rebuild their lives after injury.

Caroline is committed to achieving rehabilitation options early, meaning her clients benefits from the best care and treatment at the earliest stage possible.