Reported road casualties in Great Britain: pedal cycle factsheet, 2024
Published 25 September 2025
© Crown copyright 2025
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-pedal-cyclist-factsheet-2024/reported-road-casualties-in-great-britain-pedal-cycle-factsheet-2024
This factsheet presents trends from 2004 onwards. However, grouped data for years from 2020 to 2024 is used widely in order to allow sufficiently robust analysis by age, sex and other variables
This factsheet gives an overview and key statistics on pedal cyclists involved in road collisions in Great Britain as reported by or to the police. This factsheet examines the main trends in collisions involving pedal cyclists and the casualties involved.
Pedal cyclists are one of the vulnerable user groups. They are not protected by a vehicle body in the same way car users are, and tend to be harder for drivers to see on the road. They are, therefore, particularly susceptible to injuries.
Data in this factsheet is from 2004 onwards. Serious and slight injuries have been adjusted to account for changes in the severity reporting systems. More information on the change and adjustment process is available in the severity adjustment guidance.
It should be noted that it has been long known that a considerable percentage of non-fatal casualties are not reported to the police. Non-fatal casualties for pedal cyclists are amongst the most likely to be under-reported in road casualty data since cyclists have no obligation to inform the police of collisions. This should be borne in mind when analysing and interpreting the data.
1. Main findings
Between 2004 and 2024:
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fatalities were down 39% from 134 to 82
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serious injuries (adjusted) increased by 16%
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pedal cycle traffic increased by 36%
Averaged over the period 2020 to 2024:
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an average of 2 pedal cyclists died and 78 were seriously injured (adjusted) per week in reported road casualties
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a majority of pedal cycle fatalities (62%) do not occur at or within 20 metres of a junction compared to 44% of all seriously injured (adjusted) pedal cycle casualties
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almost half (45%) of pedal cycle fatalities were in 2 vehicle collisions between a pedal cycle and a car
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56% of pedal cycle fatalities occurred on roads in rural areas compared to 31% of traffic
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82% of pedal cycle killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualties were male
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the most common road safety factor allocated to pedal cyclists in fatal or serious collisions (FSC) with another vehicle was ‘ineffective observation by either the driver or rider or pedestrian’. It was also the most common factor allocated to the other vehicles involved
2. Pedal cycle traffic and reported casualties
In 2024, 82 pedal cyclists were killed in Great Britain, whilst 3,822 were reported to be seriously injured (adjusted) and 10,645 slightly injured (adjusted).
Table 1 and Chart 1 show that pedal cycle traffic rose between 2004 and 2024 faster than serious injuries whilst fatalities and slight injuries have fallen.
The overall number of pedal cyclist casualties has steadily fallen over the decade from 2014.
During 2024, pedal cyclist fatalities decreased by 6% while pedal cyclist traffic decreased by 2%.
Chart 1: Index of pedal cycle traffic and reported pedal cyclist casualties by severity, GB: 2004 to 2024 (Index 2004=100)
Table 1: Number of reported pedal cycle casualties by severity and traffic (pedal cycle billion vehicle miles), GB: 2004 to 2024
| Year | Killed | Serious | Slight | All | Traffic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 134 | 3,306 | 13,208 | 16,648 | 2.59 |
| 2005 | 148 | 3,316 | 13,097 | 16,561 | 2.73 |
| 2006 | 146 | 3,364 | 12,686 | 16,196 | 2.86 |
| 2007 | 136 | 3,470 | 12,589 | 16,195 | 2.62 |
| 2008 | 115 | 3,501 | 12,681 | 16,297 | 2.93 |
| 2009 | 104 | 3,738 | 13,222 | 17,064 | 3.06 |
| 2010 | 111 | 3,811 | 13,263 | 17,185 | 3.10 |
| 2011 | 107 | 4,371 | 14,737 | 19,215 | 3.17 |
| 2012 | 118 | 4,516 | 14,457 | 19,091 | 3.35 |
| 2013 | 109 | 4,490 | 14,839 | 19,438 | 3.24 |
| 2014 | 113 | 4,918 | 16,256 | 21,287 | 3.59 |
| 2015 | 100 | 4,530 | 14,214 | 18,844 | 3.37 |
| 2016 | 102 | 4,318 | 14,057 | 18,477 | 3.36 |
| 2017 | 101 | 4,314 | 13,906 | 18,321 | 3.46 |
| 2018 | 99 | 4,303 | 13,148 | 17,550 | 3.52 |
| 2019 | 100 | 4,153 | 12,630 | 16,883 | 3.63 |
| 2020 | 141 | 4,255 | 11,898 | 16,294 | 5.30 |
| 2021 | 111 | 4,269 | 12,078 | 16,458 | 4.20 |
| 2022 | 91 | 4,032 | 11,570 | 15,693 | 3.90 |
| 2023 | 87 | 3,929 | 10,983 | 14,999 | 3.61 |
| 2024 | 82 | 3,822 | 10,645 | 14,549 | 3.52 |
Source: DfT STATS19 and National Road Traffic Census
3. How far do pedal cyclists travel?
There are 2 sources of cycling distances travelled published by the Department:
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the National Travel Survey (NTS) which provides the number of trips and average distance travelled by person per year for English residents. This is used to derive casualty rates per mile travelled for pedestrians
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the National Road Traffic Census estimates based on annual traffic count data which produces total vehicle miles cycled by type of road. This is used to derive casualty rates per mile travelled for vehicle occupants
4. Casualty rates per mile travelled
The pedal cycle casualty rate has fallen for all severities in 2024 compared to 2004.
The overall casualty rate decreased by 36%. The fatality rate decreased by 55% compared to a 15% reduction for serious injuries and a 41% reduction for slight injuries.
Chart 2: Index of casualty rates of pedal cycle casualties by severity, GB: 2004 to 2024 (Index 2004=100)
Table 2: Casualty rates of pedal cycle casualties by severity per billion vehicle miles travelled, GB: 2004 to 2024
| Year | Killed | Serious | Slight | All |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 52 | 1,274 | 5,090 | 6,416 |
| 2005 | 54 | 1,213 | 4,790 | 6,057 |
| 2006 | 51 | 1,175 | 4,433 | 5,659 |
| 2007 | 52 | 1,323 | 4,801 | 6,177 |
| 2008 | 39 | 1,195 | 4,328 | 5,562 |
| 2009 | 34 | 1,222 | 4,321 | 5,577 |
| 2010 | 36 | 1,231 | 4,283 | 5,549 |
| 2011 | 34 | 1,381 | 4,655 | 6,070 |
| 2012 | 35 | 1,346 | 4,309 | 5,690 |
| 2013 | 34 | 1,384 | 4,574 | 5,991 |
| 2014 | 32 | 1,371 | 4,533 | 5,936 |
| 2015 | 30 | 1,345 | 4,220 | 5,594 |
| 2016 | 30 | 1,284 | 4,181 | 5,495 |
| 2017 | 29 | 1,245 | 4,014 | 5,289 |
| 2018 | 28 | 1,223 | 3,736 | 4,986 |
| 2019 | 28 | 1,145 | 3,481 | 4,653 |
| 2020 | 27 | 803 | 2,245 | 3,075 |
| 2021 | 26 | 1,017 | 2,877 | 3,920 |
| 2022 | 23 | 1,034 | 2,968 | 4,026 |
| 2023 | 24 | 1,088 | 3,040 | 4,152 |
| 2024 | 23 | 1,084 | 3,020 | 4,128 |
5. Sex and age comparisons
Between 2020 and 2024, 82% of pedal cycle KSI casualties were male and 18% female.
There are 5 times more male than female pedal cycle KSI casualties overall. This compares to 9 times more for 12 to 15 year olds and 3 times more for 25 to 29 year olds.
Chart 3: Percentage of pedal cycle KSI casualties, by sex and age, GB: 2020 to 2024
6. Which other vehicles are involved in collisions with pedal cyclists?
Between 2020 and 2024, most pedal cycle fatalities occurred in 2 vehicle collisions involving a car (231).
However, the highest proportion of casualties that are fatal occur in 2 vehicle collisions involving an HGV (5.8%). However, the second highest proportion (2.5%) occurred in collisions when no other vehicle was involved.
Table 3: Pedal cycle casualties in reported road collisions by severity showing other vehicles involved, GB: 2020 to 2024
| Other vehicles | Fatalities | Serious injuries | Slight injuries | All casualties | % Fatalities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No other vehicles involved | 84 | 1,559 | 1,693 | 3,336 | 2.5% |
| 1 pedal cycle | 5 | 358 | 634 | 997 | 0.5% |
| 1 motorcycle | 3 | 385 | 1,298 | 1,686 | 0.2% |
| 1 car | 231 | 14,537 | 44,981 | 59,749 | 0.4% |
| 1 bus or coach | 12 | 304 | 769 | 1,085 | 1.1% |
| 1 light goods vehicle | 52 | 1,700 | 4,708 | 6,460 | 0.8% |
| 1 heavy goods vehicle | 52 | 309 | 537 | 898 | 5.8% |
| 1 other vehicle | 21 | 433 | 953 | 1,407 | 1.5% |
| 2 or more other vehicles involved | 52 | 722 | 1,601 | 2,375 | 2.2% |
| Total | 512 | 20,307 | 57,174 | 77,993 | 0.7% |
7. Time of day of collisions
The weekday peak time for pedal cyclist KSIs is from 7am to 10am and from 4pm to 7pm. By contrast, the pattern differs for Saturday and Sunday for both trips and KSIs. During the weekend there is a single peak around mid-morning (10 am to 12 noon) which gradually tails off during the afternoon and evening.
Chart 4: Reported pedal cyclist KSIs by hour of day and day of week, GB: 2020 to 2024
8. What type of road?
Chart 5 shows that between 2020 and 2024, 56% of pedal cycle fatalities occurred on roads in rural areas compared to 31% of traffic. The proportion of non-fatal casualties on roads in rural areas, however, were lower than the proportion of traffic.
Chart 5: Percentage of pedal cycle casualties, by urban rural classification and severity and traffic, GB: 2020 to 2024
In this report, roads in urban areas are defined as those within an area of population of 10,000 or more in England and Wales or more than 3,000 in Scotland - roads outside of these areas are classified as roads in rural areas (Department for Transport types of road definitions).
9. Vehicle movement on the road
A majority of pedal cycle fatalities (62%) do not occur at or within 20 metres of a junction compared to 44% of serious injuries (adjusted). However, 37% of fatalities occur at a junction compared to 52% of serious injuries (adjusted).
Table 4: Percentage of pedal cycle KSI casualties by severity and junction detail where the collision occurred, GB: 2020 to 2024
| Junction | Fatalities | Serious | Slight | All Casualties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not at or within 20 metres of junction | 61.5% | 43.8% | 38.1% | 39.7% |
| T or staggered junction | 23.6% | 34.2% | 36.3% | 35.7% |
| Crossroads | 9.2% | 10.3% | 10.9% | 10.7% |
| Other junction | 3.7% | 5.7% | 6.2% | 6.1% |
| Unknown | 0.6% | 2.0% | 3.8% | 3.3% |
| Using private drive or entrance | 0.8% | 2.6% | 2.9% | 2.8% |
| Junction with more than four arms (not roundabout) | 0.6% | 1.5% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
10. Road safety factors in collisions
The most recent STATS19 review (PDF, 2,289KB) recommended that contributory factors (CFs) be replaced with a new system of road safety factors (RSFs). This change in system has resulted in a step change in which factors for the portion of the data that are recorded in the new system. As the majority of the data has still been collected as CFs the analysis in this section is based only on data collected as CFs and then converted to RSFs. Full analysis of the change can be found in our guide to road safety factors.
Road safety factors provide an insight into how and why collisions occur. The factors are largely subjective as they reflect the opinion of the reporting police officer. They are assigned quickly at the occurrence of the collision and often without extensive investigations and so should be interpreted with caution. They are likely to be affected in part by preconceptions police officers have of certain vehicle groups. A maximum of 6 factors can be recorded for each collision.
Table 5 shows the 10 road safety factors that have been allocated to highest proportion of pedal cyclists that have been involved in fatal or serious collisions (FSC) (between 2020 and 2024) and contrasts this with how frequently these factors are allocated to non-pedal cyclists in these collisions. There were 14,371 vehicles involved in these collisions, of which 5,917 were pedal cyclists and 8,454 were non-pedal cyclists. These proportions should be taken into account when comparing the proportions in table 5.
The most commonly assigned road safety factor assigned for both pedal cyclists and other vehicle types was ‘ineffective observation by either the driver or rider or pedestrian’ followed by ‘driver or rider being aggressive or dangerous or reckless’. The third most common factor assigned to pedal cyclists was ‘Vehicle entering road from pavement’, for other vehicle types the third most common factor was ‘Driver or rider overshot junction or poor turn or manoeuvre’.
Table 5: Proportion of vehicles involved in fatal or serious collisions with pedal cycle assigned different road safety factors, by road safety factor and vehicle type GB: 2020 to 2024
| Road Safety Factor | Pedal cyclists (%) | Non-pedal cyclists (%) | Any vehicle involved (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ineffective observation by either the driver or rider or pedestrian | 51% | 64% | 59% |
| Driver or rider being aggressive or dangerous or reckless | 18% | 21% | 19% |
| Vehicle entering road from pavement | 13% | 1% | 6% |
| Driver or rider travelling too fast for conditions (including loss of control or swerving) | 11% | 3% | 7% |
| Driver or rider overshot junction or poor turn or manoeuvre | 10% | 12% | 11% |
| Driver or rider illegal turn or direction of travel or failed to comply with traffic sign or signal | 8% | 5% | 6% |
| Pedestrian or cyclist or equestrian hard to see | 6% | 0% | 3% |
| Vehicle with defective lights or not using headlights when visibility is reduced | 5% | 0% | 2% |
| Affected by alcohol | 4% | 1% | 2% |
| Road surface was slippery due to weather | 3% | 2% | 2% |
11. Further information
Further information on road collisions and casualties are available from Road Safety Statistics.
Published tables on casualties in reported road collisions are available.
Non-fatal casualties since 2016 have been affected by a large number of police forces changing their reporting systems which has had a large impact on the classification of injuries recorded. Further details of the adjustment for this are in the severity adjustment guidance.
Road collisions and safety statistics guidance including accompanying notes and definitions are available.
Personal travel statistics within Great Britain covering English residents is available from the National Travel Survey.
Road traffic statistics provide estimates of the vehicle miles travelled each year in Great Britain by vehicle type, road category and region.
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14. Contact details
Road safety statistics
Email roadacc.stats@dft.gov.uk