More cyclists die on roads

Deaths and injuries among cyclists are increasing at a "worrying" rate, a charity has claimed as new figures revealed a rise in casualties.

Provisional statistics show that overall road safety improved during the last year, with fatalities falling below 2,000 for the first time since records began. But there was a 3 per cent increase in the number of cyclists killed or injured as commuters turned to pedal power.

Robert Gifford, of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, acknowledged that the general drop in road deaths was "good news" but added: "The worrying trend is the increase in deaths and serious injuries to cyclists."

The total number killed or seriously injured has risen by 10 per cent since the year ending September 2007, he said.