BBC Reports 7 out of 8 cycling fatalities in London are female
A news report last week on the BBC website caught my eye. An analysis of cycling accidents involving lorries in London revealed that 7 out of 8 fatal accidents involved women cyclists. This seems even more disproportionate when, as the article says, only 28% of cyclists are female. The article goes on to say that some cycling campaigners are looking into the different ways men and women ride their bikes to find an explanation for the disparity.
Whilst it is no secret that women driving cars and other motor vehicles have fewer accidents than men (per thousand miles travelled), it seems that as far as bikes are concerned, the reverse is true. A 2007 report by Transport for London, the body responsible for the roads in the capital, pointed to women cyclists’ tendency to obey red lights at junctions as one of the main reasons they are involved in proportionately more accidents than there male counterparts.
As a cyclist, waiting at traffic lights alongside other vehicles has the downside of placing you in the blind spot of larger vehicles such as lorries. If the larger vehicle turns left, the driver won’t see any cyclists as the vehicle cuts across your path. The 2007 report found a difference between the sexes, with men tending to move off more quickly from a red light, getting out of the way of other vehicles much sooner than women cyclists.
The position you take on the road and your manner might also play a part in raising or lowering your risk of being involved in a road accident whilst out cycling. Cyclists who tend to cycle very close to the kerb might not be given enough space by other road users, who might drive more closely to them, increasing the chances of a collision. On the other hand cyclists who adopt a positive manner when cycling and make sure they are seen by other motorists are less likely to be ignored at junctions and turns in the road.
Cycling accident compensation
At Camps Solicitors we understand that being involved in a cycling accident where you were not at fault can be, to put it mildly, an unpleasant experience. That is why our expert road accident lawyers and support staff are here to reassure you and to take the strain out of making a cycling compensation claim against whoever was responsible for your accident. We take care of your claim so all you have to concentrate on is recovering from your injuries and getting back on with your life.
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