APPCG ‘Near Miss Project' findings
Posted on in Cycles News , Political News
On Tuesday the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group (APPCG) met to discuss Cycling Near Misses: why they matter and how we can stop them.
Dr. Rachel Aldred, leader of the Near Miss Project shared key findings from the two years in which the project ran. This includes how often cyclists experience near misses, with rates compared to rates for injury incidents, and comparisons made between different groups (e.g. in terms of gender or cycling experience).
The data also provides rich descriptions of the impacts of such incidents, which give insight into their role in deterring cycling uptake and increasing churn. The talk aimed to encourage discussions on what can be done to reduce near misses, particularly the most frightening types of incident.
The slides from the presentation can be found here
Some of the main findings:
- Near misses are an everyday experience for cyclists in the UK.
- Rates are similar for people living inside and outside London; they were higher during the morning peak. Rates were lower for those on touring weekend rides; but when incidents did happen they tended to be more serious.
- Cycling speed is the main factor affecting near miss rates: those who reach their destination at an average speed of under 8 mph have around three times more near misses per mile compared to those who get there at 12 mph or faster.
- Women, who on average cycle more slowly, have higher near miss rates than men.
- Around one in four of all incidents were judged to be ‘ very scary', with many - like some near left hook incidents - bearing similarities to incidents that have killed cyclists.
- Cyclists felt they could do little to prevent most incidents, but most incidents were judged preventable.
- Over half, suggested cyclists, could have been prevented by improvements to the road condition, layout, or route infrastructure. In particular, this meant separation from motorised traffic, followed by better repairs and maintenance to routes or infrastructure used by cyclists. Those cycling more slowly were more likely to suggest that separation would have helped prevent their incidents.
- Over three-quarters of incidents could, suggested cyclists, have been prevented if other road users had behaved differently.
The All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group (APPCG) exists to promote the use of bicycles as a mode of transport and to raise the awareness and status of cycling.
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