Hello, new data has revealed London had more motorcycle and pedal cycle casualties than anywhere else in England over the past 10 years
- 266 motorcycle users lost their lives
- 88 pedal cyclists lost their lives
- Experts at RTA Law fear the injury numbers could be much higher
- Further data available upon request.
London is the most dangerous area in England for bikers and cyclists, but it’s feared the figures may be much worse than recorded.
Data analysed by RTA Law has revealed there have been over 55,000 motorcycle user casualties over the past 10 years, the highest number in England.
Furthermore, there’s been a 22.3% rise in casualties over the period in London, whereas everywhere else has seen a decline.
| Region or Country | Road user type | Severity | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Total | Percentage Change |
| North East | Motorcycle users | All casualties | 452 | 494 | 410 | 363 | 331 | 335 | 268 | 310 | 311 | 288 | 3562 | -36.3 |
| North West | Motorcycle users | All casualties | 1,770 | 1,598 | 1,564 | 1,457 | 1,327 | 1,074 | 882 | 975 | 1,017 | 1,021 | 12685 | -42.3 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | Motorcycle users | All casualties | 1,529 | 1,507 | 1,436 | 1,293 | 1,210 | 1,097 | 835 | 1,056 | 1,067 | 1,090 | 12120 | -28.7 |
| East Midlands | Motorcycle users | All casualties | 1,397 | 1,335 | 1,229 | 1,105 | 1,051 | 1,002 | 812 | 906 | 1,032 | 1,009 | 10878 | -27.8 |
| West Midlands | Motorcycle users | All casualties | 1,463 | 1,385 | 1,283 | 1,139 | 952 | 879 | 670 | 751 | 744 | 738 | 10004 | -49.6 |
| East of England | Motorcycle users | All casualties | 1,915 | 1,771 | 1,828 | 1,537 | 1,379 | 1,279 | 1,082 | 1,187 | 1,432 | 1,345 | 14755 | -29.8 |
| London | Motorcycle users | All casualties | 5,237 | 5,449 | 5,259 | 5,567 | 5,126 | 5,409 | 5,016 | 6,007 | 6,153 | 6,403 | 55626 | 22.3 |
| South East | Motorcycle users | All casualties | 3,295 | 3,356 | 3,301 | 2,903 | 2,768 | 2,584 | 2,085 | 2,351 | 2,757 | 2,597 | 27997 | -21.2 |
| South West | Motorcycle users | All casualties | 1,739 | 1,603 | 1,615 | 1,463 | 1,475 | 1,451 | 1,121 | 1,334 | 1,444 | 1,461 | 14706 | -16 |
Regarding deaths, the government data revealed 266 motorcycle users have lost their lives on London roads.
| Region or Country | Road user type | Severity | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Total |
| London | Motorcycle users | Killed | 27 | 36 | 33 | 31 | 22 | 31 | 31 | 14 | 21 | 20 | 266 |
When it comes to pedal cyclists, London also saw the most casualties over the past 10 years, with more than 47,000.
The capital has seen a 6.9% drop over the time frame; however, it’s the smallest decrease when compared to everywhere else.
| Region or Country | Road user type | Severity | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Total | Percentage Change |
| North East | Pedal cyclists | All casualties | 650 | 628 | 537 | 516 | 484 | 501 | 525 | 454 | 448 | 421 | 5164 | -35.2 |
| North West | Pedal cyclists | All casualties | 2,161 | 1,659 | 1,697 | 1,913 | 1,793 | 1,610 | 1,524 | 1,661 | 1,610 | 1,508 | 17136 | -30.2 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | Pedal cyclists | All casualties | 1,917 | 1,742 | 1,756 | 1,726 | 1,571 | 1,549 | 1,417 | 1,300 | 1,240 | 1,375 | 15593 | -28.3 |
| East Midlands | Pedal cyclists | All casualties | 1,417 | 1,290 | 1,172 | 1,104 | 1,046 | 1,034 | 967 | 1,004 | 879 | 971 | 10884 | -31.5 |
| West Midlands | Pedal cyclists | All casualties | 1,383 | 1,263 | 1,273 | 1,228 | 1,061 | 1,022 | 889 | 923 | 831 | 790 | 10663 | -42.9 |
| East of England | Pedal cyclists | All casualties | 1,894 | 1,703 | 1,778 | 1,675 | 1,529 | 1,463 | 1,318 | 1,240 | 1,255 | 1,143 | 14998 | -39.7 |
| London | Pedal cyclists | All casualties | 5,150 | 4,477 | 4,426 | 4,506 | 4,756 | 4,630 | 4,791 | 5,283 | 5,093 | 4,797 | 47909 | -6.9 |
| South East | Pedal cyclists | All casualties | 3,605 | 3,251 | 3,231 | 3,043 | 2,816 | 2,665 | 2,629 | 2,399 | 2,310 | 2,097 | 28046 | -41.8 |
| South West | Pedal cyclists | All casualties | 1,656 | 1,528 | 1,372 | 1,435 | 1,442 | 1,434 | 1,262 | 1,319 | 1,232 | 1,187 | 13867 | -28.3 |
In regard to deaths, 88 pedal cyclists have died in London over the past 10 years.
| Region or Country | Road user type | Severity | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Total |
| London | Pedal cyclists | Killed | 13 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 88 |
“These statistics might only be the tip of the iceberg,” said Rod Mitchell from RTA Law, who analysed the data.
“We believe the actual number of motorcycle and cyclist casualties could be significantly higher due to underreporting and limitations in data collection methods.”
“Many incidents, especially those involving minor injuries, often go unreported,” he continued. “There are also discrepancies in how data is recorded and processed between different agencies, which can lead to an underestimation of the true scale of the problem.”
“It’s crucial that we address these gaps in data to fully understand and tackle the risks faced by motorcyclists and cyclists,” Mitchell added. “Only with accurate information can effective measures be implemented to improve road safety across the country.”
