THE number of cyclists killed or injured is at its highest level in five years with figures showing they now account for one in every 14 people killed or injured on Scotland's roads.
Provisional statistics for 2012 show the number of crashes involving cyclists rose despite and overall trend of declining road casualties, with almost 900 bicycle users involved in accidents.
The casualty figure among cyclists has been climbing almost steadily since the middle of last decade with claims the number of people now turning to two wheels is overtaking the infrastructure that is available to them.
Cycling enjoyed a rise in popularity post the London 2012 Olympic Games, where Sir Chris Hoy won six gold medals, with Sir Bradley Wiggin's Tour de France triumph also reportedly behind an increase in bicycle sales.
The Scottish Government statistics show 898 cyclists were killed or injured on Scotland's roads last year, up 7% on 2011 and 23% on 2008, when there 730 cycling casualties in Scotland.
The most recent figures include nine fatalities – up from seven the previous year – and 167 cyclists who suffered serious injuries, an increase of 11 on a year earlier.
Neil Greig, director of policy and research for the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said the figures were likely to increase further in the years ahead unless cyclists were better accommodated on the country's roads.
He said: "The infrastructure and investment is lagging behind the number of people taking up cycling. The Scottish Government is encouraging people to use their bikes, but my worry is we are going to see this trend continue until we improve the amount of space available on our roads exclusively for cyclists."
The Scottish Government has set a target to increase the number of journeys taken by bike in Scotland to 10% by 2020, from a current level of around 1.3%. However, high-profile cases such as the death of pensioner Audrey Fyfe – killed when a motorist clipped the back wheel of her bike as she rode in Edinburgh – have highlighted the dangers of cycling.
The Crown Office is to appeal the sentence imposed on Gary McCourt, who was banned for driving for five years following the death of Ms Fyfe, 75. The case will go to the Appeal Court on August 6.
Ian Aitken, chief executive of Cycling Scotland, said the latest figures were "concerning". He added: "If we are to get 10% of journeys made by bike, people have to feel cycling is a safe activity and therefore we need to see the on-going reductions in casualties other modes are seeing, happening for pedestrians and cyclists as well."
The figures are still a significant improvement on the mid-1990s, when there was an average of 1283 cycling casualties each year in Scotland between 1994 and 1998, including 11 fatalities annually.
Yesterday's figures show there were 12,575 road casualties in total in Scotland last year, down 2% on 2011. Total fatalities fell 8% to 170.
Among car users, the number of motorists killed was down to 72 with 836 seriously injured. This followed an overall 3% decrease in car crashes, with 7577 recorded in Scotland over 2012.
Meanwhile, the number of pedestrians killed was up by 11 to 54, while 456 people suffered serious injuries while travelling on foot.
Transport Minister Keith Brown said: "While the numbers of fatal accidents have fallen again, one death on Scotland's roads is simply one too many, and our focus con-tinues to be ensuring we drive the numbers down further."
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