Deaths on the Roads: Down/Up Figures for 2021

Fatal cycling accidents are over 200 for the first time in 20 years.

That’s bad news. There is more coverage and outrage in the UK about it. On bike cameras are capturing near misses and crashes and un civil behavior. Cycling News has near miss of the day! Chris Boardman as cycling minister. As a regular cyclist with years of commuting by bike (in past) and some years with 5k on the road I guess I’m lucky. There are a lot of reasons buying a bike does not mean being able to ride a bike, more bikes on already congested roads, lack of infrastructure and the relative speeds. Hopefully I’ve not jinx jinxed myself. Yesterday I rode 100km a couple of junctions to check my right of way, one of which stopped a third into the road but at least she stopped. On the other hand mostly on country roads.

Certainly hearing more reports in the local press (La Montagne/CFE) about deaths involving cyclists in and around the city - have to say though, CFE’s cycle lane layout appears to have been designed to do just that, so not really surprised.

and I’m wondering when we’ll get figures relating to those small electric scooters which zip around other road users, seemingly from out of nowhere…
EDIT obviously, I’m talking about intown, not seen many of those little chaps on the country roads.

Nearly got mowed down by one of those as I was walking out of work at luncthime - literally turned around to cross the entrance lance to go and check the mail box and came face to face with the idiot rider, him engaging the brakes as he realised a collision was imminent. Didn’t hear him at all, and he of course had no bell, horn or whatever other means to make his presence known. He did apologise profusely, but it would have been messy had he actually hit me.

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It seems that as roads become busier there is an increasing lack of respect between different road users, and the direction legislation is presently headed in makes for an increase in confrontation, rather than harmony.

Numbers of those killed on the roads have risen dramatically… it seems that almost every day/week there’s news of yet another tragedy…
Covid derestrictions have allowed us all back to work, travel, whatever… but these figures are sobering.
May 2022 = 293 deaths
May 2019 = 243 deaths

https://www.ouest-france.fr/societe/securite-routiere/securite-routiere-forte-hausse-de-la-mortalite-en-mai-de-21-par-rapport-a-2019-384f993a-f138-11ec-8c70-9d4fe0897a25

Some road users can only be described as organ donors. I hope there is eventually an awareness campaign on safe road use by
Pedestrians, cyclists and car users.

Report published 12th September 2022… makes interesting reading… especially the rise in cyclist’ deaths…

Bilan 2021 de la sécurité routière | Observatoire national interministériel de la sécurité routière).