Serious cycling injuries in Leeds rise by almost 50pc in 10 years

Data released by Leeds City Council under the Freedom of Information Act shows that a total of 329 cyclists were injured in Leeds last year, up from 206 in 2004 - a rise of 60 per cent in a decade.

Of this number, 49 cyclists were left with serious injuries after accidents in the city in 2013.

And with more cyclists taking to the Leeds’ roads than ever before, in the wake of this year’s Tour de France, many fear this casualty list will continue to soar.

Chairwoman of Leeds Cycling Campaign Lizzie Reather said better infrastructure is urgently needed.

She said: “Given that the local and national government has been encouraging people to walk and cycle more, there’s been a disconnection between their encouragement and investment.”

A spokesman for Leeds City Council said they are determined to improve the city’s existing cycling infrastructure following the success of the Tour de France.

Projects include more road safety training in schools, extending the Core Cycle Network, improving the Leeds-Shipley towpath and the City Connect project - a cycling superhighway between Leeds and Bradford, creating Dutch-style infrastructure along a busy traffic corridor.

The spokesman added: “Road safety is of the utmost importance and the council is firmly committed to doing everything it can to ensure the safety of all road users is the highest priority and remains at the forefront of all our highways planning.”

The Leeds figures were published by JMW Solicitors but are echoed by similar figures for elsewhere in the region. North Yorkshire County Council reported the total number of cycling casualty figures rising from 80 in the first seven months of 2012 to 137 for the same period in 2013.

Humberside Police also reported a rise - from a total of 474 accidents involving cyclists in 2012 to 501 in 2013.