The most recent Department for Transport (DfT) statistics, published in September 2021, show that 16,294 cyclists were injured in reported road accidents in 2020, with 141 killed, 4,215 seriously injured and 11,938 slightly injured. These figures do not include cyclist casualties that were not reported to the police, or cycling accidents that took place away from the road, meaning the true number of serious and slight injuries during the year is likely to be at least twice as high.

While the 41% increase in pedal cyclist fatalities in 2022 from the previous year was described as ‘staggering’ by the AA, overall cyclist casualties fell by 3.5%, and the number of deaths or injuries per mile travelled fell by 34% in 2020 year on year. Pedal cycles travelled an estimated five billion miles on UK roads in 2020, representing a 46% increase compared to the previous year, while cyclists took shorter journeys due to the impact of the pandemic.

While the steep and surprising rise in the number of cyclist fatalities in 2020 has worried cycling groups, it may be largely attributed to an increase in risky driving during the pandemic lockdowns. Overall, cyclist fatalities have remained flat over the last five years, having fallen significantly since 2005, which should mean that the spike in 2020 was an exception and largely due to lockdown restrictions.

If you are a cyclist and have been injured in a road traffic accident, contact our firm for expert legal advice from solicitors who are themselves cyclists, and who have recently handled cycling accident compensation claims against motorists and other road users.

When Can a Cyclist Claim Against a Motorist?

Our firm regularly handles claims on behalf of cyclists injured in collisions with motorists. The typical injuries which cyclists sustain when hit by cars and other vehicles are outlined below. Apart from the physical injury itself, compensation will also cover private healthcare treatment, physiotherapy, psychological therapy, expenses (such as the cost of travel to hospital appointments), loss of income and household adaptations.

Facial Injuries – Cyclists often hit their face when they fall from their bike, sustaining injuries including broken and fractured noses, jaws and eye sockets. Teeth may also be damaged, while abrasions caused by scapes (road rash) can leave long-term or permanent scarring.

Head Injuries – Head injuries from cycling accidents vary widely in severity, from minor cuts and scrapes to skull fractures and traumatic brain injuries. Cyclists often develop concussion from a blow to the head even if they were wearing a helmet, and this needs to be closely monitored to make sure the head injury is not more serious than it appears.

Broken and Dislocated Bones – The blunt trauma from the impact on landing when a cyclist is thrown from their bike can cause broken ribs, legs, and more severe broken back and neck injuries, which can result in spinal cord damage and paralysis. More commonly, a rider will attempt to break their fall with their hands and arms, resulting in broken and dislocated shoulders, arms, wrists, hands and fingers.

Soft Tissue Injuries – Most cycling accidents on the roads thankfully only cause minor injuries like cuts, scrapes and bruises. However, strains and sprains are also common, including torn ligaments, while whiplash is another possibility, particularly when a cyclist is struck from behind by a motorist’s vehicle.

Bartletts is a law firm with expertise and experience in cycling accident compensation claims. In one recent case we successfully claimed £60,000 in compensation for a cyclist who seriously injured his back after being knocked off his bike by a car that pulled out in front of him from a side street. If you are a cyclist and have been involved in a collision with a motorist, contact our firm for free, expert and reliable legal advice:

When Can a Cyclist Claim Against a Motorist?

A viral video showing a motorist colliding with a cyclist on a zebra crossing in Bradford has divided opinion, and shows just how difficult it can be in apportioning blame for accidents of this type. In the 11-second video, the rider begins to cycle across the zebra crossing just as a motorist drives over it without stopping. Seconds later, a second vehicle also fails to stop at the crossing and collides with the bike’s front wheel, causing it to veer off course and the cyclist to swiftly jump off his bike to avoid falling as the motorist drives off.

The question that divided social media users was whether the cyclist, motorist or both parties were at fault for what could have been a tragic accident. Many pointed to rule 81 of the Highway Code which states with reference to cyclists: ‘Do not ride across a pelican, puffin or zebra crossing. Dismount and wheel your cycle across’. The cyclist had clearly broken the Highway Code by failing to dismount and walk his bike over the zebra crossing, in which case both motorists would have been obliged to stop as they would for any other pedestrian. Further criticism included the fact that the cyclist did not wait for the traffic to stop before crossing, as well as his lack of high visibility clothing and helmet.

Other viewers believed that the second driver, in particular, was not paying attention and should have seen the cyclist and had time to stop at the zebra crossing, thus avoiding the collision. Motorists also owe cyclists a duty of care, and are obliged to drive safely and take reasonable care to avoid putting other road users at risk. In this instance, a careful and competent driver should have seen the cyclist on the zebra crossing and stopped to let them cross, rather than recklessly endangering him by failing to stop and causing a collision.

The consensus therefore was that both parties were at fault, though the degree of respective culpability and hence legal liability was hotly disputed. Often in the case of collisions involving cyclists and motorists, both parties are to some extent to blame, and this is the main reason why cyclists injured at zebra crossings and junctions should engage solicitors with experience and expertise in this area of law to obtain the best possible outcome.

When Can a Cyclist Claim Against a Motorist?

Transport for London (TfL) and London Councils (the local government association for Greater London) recently announced that they are extending the UK’s largest e-scooter rental trial in the capital for at least another year, in response to recently updated Department for Transport (DfT) guidance that allows local authority trials to continue until at least May 31, 2024. The extension also follows the UK government’s announcement of plans for forthcoming legislation to create a new ‘low-speed, zero-emission’ vehicle category, which would include e-scooters and seek to fully integrate them into the urban transport landscape.

London’s e-scooter rental trial was launched in June 2021 and has since grown rapidly, with a reported 4,425 e-scooters now available to hire across the city and almost two million journeys taken thus far. The main aim of all the e-scooter trials currently operating across the country is to use the accumulated data to learn more about e-scooters, and thereby shape future policy regarding their use on UK roads and in other public areas, particularly in terms of providing an affordable, green and sustainable urban transport alternative.

In this context, TfL stated that high safety requirements and operating standards will be further enhanced for the next phase of the capital’s e-scooter trial. They will be based on the experience to date, both in London and other cities and countries, as well as customer and stakeholder feedback and improvements in e-scooter technology.

Public safety is clearly the central priority, and riders will require public liability insurance if and when privately-owned e-scooters become legal to use on public land, including public roads. Currently, pedestrians, cyclists and other road users have little chance of legal redress if they are involved in an accident with a private e-scooter, although rental e-scooters are covered by insurance taken out by the operator.

Find out more about responsibility for e-scooter accidents and claiming compensation for being injured by an e-scooter rider:

Who is Responsible for an E-Scooter Accident?