HC Deb 30 March 1983 vol 40 cc173-4W
Mr. Stuart Holland

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what, to the latest convenient period, have been the accident rates involving cyclists (a) in total, (b) fatal and (c) involving injury on roads within his responsibility in (i) the London borough of Lambeth and (ii) the London borough of Hammersmith; and if he will analyse the reasons for any differences;

(2) how many accidents to cyclists are reported to have happened on roads paved with cobblestones; and in how many of these cases cobblestones were a contribution to the cause of the accident.

(3) if he will list the number of accidents to cyclists in individual Greater London boroughs for the years 1978 to 1982.

Mrs. Chalker

The figures for pedal cycle casualties in the Greater London boroughs for the last three years are as follows:

Reported* pedal cyclists casualties in Greater London Boroughs: 1979–81
All severities Killed
1980 1981 1982† 1980–82†
Barking 100 102 75 2
Bamet 153 122 177 2
Bexley 109 88 118 1
Brent 105 121 132 2
Bromley 166 180 191 5
Camden 321 322 397 7
Croydon 161 159 209 6
Ealing 145 152 187 5
Enfield 146 118 148 1
Greenwich 120 113 129 6
Hackney 131 144 221 4
Hamersmith 148 133 154 1
Haringey 66 82 109 0
Harrow 96 90 98 3
Havering 145 152 153 1
Hillingdon 166 171 185 3
Hounslow 171 179 211 5
Islington 284 316 338 16
Kensington and Chelsea 141 161 213 1
Kingston upon Thames 136 113 129 5
Lambeth 212 255 342 4

All severities Killed
1980 1981 1982 1980–82
Lewisham 150 139 172 2
Merton 110 116 117 1
Newham 128 119 158 4
Redbridge 126 134 139 2
Richmond upon Thames 169 171 160 1
Southwark 157 193 242 5
Sutton 94 94 110 2
Tower Hamlets 117 119 160 3
Waltham Forest 158 145 148 3
Wandsworth 212 156 244 3
Westminster 445 479 603 11
All London Boroughs 5,088 5,138 6,169 117
* Not all injury accidents involving pedal cyclists are reported.
† Provisional data.

Figures for earlier years are available only at disproportionate cost. Police accident reports provide no information on causes of accidents. Nor is the presence of cobblestones recorded. Accident rates for pedal cyclists in each borough cannot be supplied, because traffic data are not available for local areas.

Mr. Stuart Holland

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will assess the effect of differing policies of individual London boroughs towards cycling upon accident rates in their areas with a view to developing advice to local authorities on cycling policy designed to minimise the dangers to cyclists.

Mrs. Chalker

It is for the individual boroughs to determine their cycling policies in the light of local circumstances. A wide range of technical advice is available from my Department.