Road casualty figures, released by the Department for Transport, show a ‘concerning’ rise in the number of casualties on Britain’s roads, British Cycling policy advisor, Chris Boardman said today.

The figures highlight a 5% rise in the number of cyclists being killed and seriously injured, while the number of pedestrians and drivers being seriously injured or killed is also on the rise.

British Cycling policy advisor, Chris Boardman, said: “The data released by the Department for Transport today shows that more needs to be done to make Britain’s roads safe, not just for cyclists, but for drivers and pedestrians.

“The number of people being killed and seriously injured is increasing, showing a lack of resources focusing on the real cause of dangers on the road.

“Changes can be made. Countries like the Netherlands and Denmark faced the same issues 40 years ago and decided to make a commitment to cycling as a proper, viable, form of transport.

"The evidence for this working is clear. The changes made in the Netherlands saw the number of child deaths from either walking, cycling or car accidents, drop from 400 in the 1970’s to just 10 by 2010. We now need our government to do the same.”