Does the ‘safety in numbers’ theory work for London’s cyclists?
The deaths of cyclists in the Capital is always a hot topic among the media. We all know about Cycle Superhighways and the work being put in by Sadiq Khan to turn London into a more cycle friendly city through its infrastructure - including £770m of new funding announced last week.
But is the answer to improving the safety of cyclists more cyclists? A new report has suggested just that.
Produced by Road Safety Analysis, the report focusses on the ‘safety in numbers’ (SIN) theory – which works on the basis that when there are more cyclists on the road, the rate of injury collisions involving cyclists reduces.
Using data from all 319 English local authority areas, the study shows that annually as many as one in 20 cyclists can be involved in a collision in areas where there are relatively few bikes on the road, compared to one in 500 in areas where cycling is more popular.
It does have to be said, the report warns that more cyclists on the roads will result in an increase in the absolute number of injuries to cyclists unless significant measures to improve infrastructure are put in place at the same time.
So I’d be interested to hear your thoughts? How do we improve cycling - and the safety of cyclists - in the Capital?