Rural roads are more dangerous for cyclists than urban roads, with cyclists being 15 times more likely to be killed on rural roads. While rural roads only account for 32% of total cycling traffic, they are the location for 58% of cycling fatalities. The increased risks are due to higher vehicle speeds, lack of dedicated cycling infrastructure, and poor road conditions on rural roads. Advocates call for lower speed limits and improved cycling infrastructure to make rural roads safer for cyclists.

1. As high-profile tragedies
on city streets hit the
headlines and fuel calls for
safer cycle paths, Cycling
Plusexamines why our
out-of-town highways and
country lanes – where many
of us do most of our riding
– remain a fatal killing
ground for cyclists…
RURAL
IDEAL?
ABIKERIDER’SRISK
OFBEINGKILLEDON
RURALROADSIS15
TIMESGREATERTHAN
ONURBANONES...
BRITAIN’S COUNTRY LANES ONLY
ACCOUNT FOR 32% OF ALL CYCLE
TRAFFIC BUT ARE THE BACKDROP FOR
Photography Russell Burton
Words Rob Kemp
CYCLINGPLUS |February2016|117
RURALROADS
iders will happily
share Strava
segment statistics
in their quest to
unearth the most challenging
climbs or daredevil downhills
our nation’s rural roads and
country lanes have to offer. But
they’ll be less keen to talk about
some other statistics that have
emerged recently, which paint
a disturbing picture of the true
dangers cyclists face on these
supposedly quieter, safer roads.
Based on road traffic accident
reports, the Royal Society for the
Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)
has revealed that if you’re
unfortunate enough to get hit
on a rural road, you’re far more
likely to be hit at speed – and
more likely to be killed – than
on urban roads. While Britain’s
country lanes and woody hill
climbs account for only 32 per
cent of all cycle traffic – they’re
the backdrop for 58 per cent of
all the cycling deaths.
According to data gathered by
the Campaign for the Protection
of Rural England (CPRE), the
risk of being killed cycling on
out-of-town highways and
byways is now 15 times higher
than on city streets.
“In recent years we’ve seen
a significant increase in the
number of all road users on rural
roads,” explains Ralph Smyth,
spokesperson for the CPRE and a
supporter of the moves to make
out-of-town cycling safer.
58% OF ALL
CYCLING DEATHS

2. CYCLINGPLUS |February2016|119118| January2016|CYCLINGPLUS
Smyth points out that legislation and
road maintenance hasn’t been adjusted to
accommodate for the major rise in traffic on
rural roads. Cyclists are more likely to be
killed in an accident on a rural road, yet
policy changes in speed restrictions and
road layouts, including the introduction of
dedicated cycle-ways, are only happening
in towns and cities.
Certainly there’s a need for change in
urban settings. According to the most
recent (2013) RoSPA data, around 75 per
cent of serious accidents involving cyclists
occur in urban areas. However, more than
half of cyclists killed lose their lives in
accidents on rural roads. “Although the
focus on cycle safety in urban areas is
welcome - it should not come at the cost of
action in rural areas,” says Smyth.
He says one of the chief causes of
fatalities among cyclists is the application
of national speed limits to A-roads and
lanes that are poorly lit, winding or
irregular. Satellite navigation provides
cyclists with access to pretty much every
rural route in the UK, and the desire to
seek out new rides – coupled with the rise
in rider numbers – means more cyclists are
discovering more roads to ride on.
“But Sat Navs send more cars, vans and
lorries through rural routes too,” says
Smyth. “Many of these roads haven’t been
improved or adapted to cope with the
greater levels of traffic.”
Even when attempts are made to educate
road-users and make the environment
safer for all – such as the ‘THINK!’ safety
campaign – the needs of motorists continue
to be prioritised over those of cyclists.
Department for Transport data suggests
that the current 60mph national speed
limit in place on country roads is only
appropriate on roads actually engineered
to allow safe driving at this speed.
“The adverts for the Think! campaign
suggested that it’s safe to drive at 60mph
on most rural roads as long as you slow
down before bends,” says Smyth.
However, it’s a dangerously misleading
message: “It’s time to tell the public that
60mph should become the exception
rather than the norm.”
The message is getting through in
built-up areas. Increasing numbers of
towns, cities and villages are making
20mph the norm on their streets – with
councils realising that simply trying to ask
drivers to slow down does not work. “We
have the second highest speed limit on
rural roads in Europe: lower speed limits
are needed in rural areas now,” says Smyth.
Why Rural Road Riders
Come Off Worse…
Mr Paul Hamilton, Consultant Orthopaedic
Surgeon at Spire St Anthony’s Hospital in
Surrey, treats many cyclists who have been
drawn to the county and its wonderful
cycling routes such as the Olympic one at
Box Hill. “Undoubtedly the increased
number of cyclists, going at higher speeds
these days, means that the injuries are
increasing in number and severity,”
says Hamilton.
“On rural roads the speed limits mean
both cyclists and motorists reach a greater
speed and thus the injuries we see are
Danger
Make sure you survey
your surroundings.
Keep a look out for
oncoming traffic and
only help the person
if it is safe to do so.
Response
Check whether the
person responds
when you ask them
to do something like
opening their eyes.
If they’re unconscious,
move on to the
next checks as
soon as possible.
Airway
Make sure their
airway is clear,
open and maintained.
If they’re not
responding, tilt
their head and lift
their chin to open
their airway.
Breathing
You need to look,
listen and feel to
check they’re
breathing. If they’re
unconscious and not
breathing, start CPR
(find out more at
www.sja.org.uk) and if
possible, ask someone
else to call 999. If
they are breathing,
you can move on to...
Circulation
Are they bleeding? If
the person is bleeding
severely, you should
apply direct pressure
to control the
bleeding before
calling 999.
FirstAid
Checks“In the event of an
incident, there are
some basic first aid
checks that anyone
can do to help,”
explains Watts. “This
primary survey,
often known as DR
ABC, will allow you
to quickly identify if
someone has a life-
threatening injury
or condition.”
“For dealing with
minor injuries, cyclists
can download the St
John Ambulance app
– First Aid for Cyclists.
This offers advice to
give anyone the skills
to deal with the most
common cycling
injuries, including
head injuries,” says
Ben Watts, Paramedic
with the London
Ambulance Service
MORE THAN HALF OF
CYCLISTS KILLED
LOSE THEIR LIVES
IN ACCIDENTS ON RURAL ROADS
RURALROADS

3. 120| February2016|CYCLINGPLUS
agricultural vehicles are all contributing
factors to the alarming statistics.
Change is possible, for example with
stricter enforcement of lower speed limits,
but this would also require sufficient
investment in infrastructure for separated
cycle lanes in cities and the countryside.
Don’t forget countries like Holland that are
renowned for their bike-friendly policies
today were following the same path as us
up until the mid-1970s. The figure for
bicycle journeys was falling,
while car usage was on the rise.
But they made a conscious
decision to invest more in
infrastructure – and saved
untold lives in the process.
rural cycling to make it safer, which will not
only continue to attract growing numbers
of cyclists but will also encourage a
reduction in the use of cars on local routes.
“It is time we go beyond the idea that
driving should be the only option in rural
areas,” suggests Smyth. “We are years
behind continental countries. A dedicated
fund for new paths is the only way to go.”
“Road safety education campaigns
should be backing the proven case for lower
speed limits in rural as well as built-up
areas,” says Smyth. At present, driving on
rural roads isn’t even a part of the current
driving test. While cyclists form part of
the mix in city streets and drivers soon
learn to look out for them (in theory), their
presence on country roads isn’t so easy
to anticipate – Department of Transport
research shows that one third of accidents
involving cyclists in rural areas occurred
when a vehicle ran into the rear of a bike.
The design of out-of-town
A-roads and rural lanes, poor
road surface maintenance,
a lack of dedicated cycle
lanes, agricultural debris and
increasingly more powerful
more serious. The quiet country roads
may also feel ‘safer’,” suggests Hamilton.
“So cyclists may also be more likely to
take a risk (especially at a junction). Also,
in accidents where a vehicle is not involved
and [the accident] is instead due to the
cyclist losing control, the speed is likely
to be higher and the injury therefore
more severe.”
“Accidents on country roads can mean
longer response times from paramedic
teams,” suggests Hamilton. Access through
narrow roads and poor mobile phone
coverage can add time to this. “Cyclists
riding alone on rural routes may not be
RURALROADS
attended to as immediately as those riding
with a partner or group who would notice if
they’d been hit or come off the road.”
The RoSPA report bears that out,
suggesting that cyclists involved in
collisions on rural roads are more likely
to die than those involved in similar
incidents on urban roads. It reveals that
bends and junctions on rural roads are
where rural cyclists are at greatest risk.
“The severity of the injury relates to
a number of factors, the most important
probably being the speed of the vehicle
(if one is involved in the collision),”
adds Hamilton. “The higher the energy
involved in the injury, the greater the
severity of the injury, including most
importantly head injuries that carry the
highest risk of mortality.”
The medics treating the near-20,000
cyclists injured on British roads each year
also cite developments in cycling
technology – such as lighter, faster bikes
– as a contributing factor.
Mr Ian Hunt is a consultant thoracic
surgeon at St George’s Hospital and
consultant at the Royal Marsden Hospital,
Sutton. He specialises in chest injuries and
sees many cyclists who have fallen victim
to accidents on both rural and urban roads.
LightUp
In rural cycling, use
of lights is not just
about being seen,
but being able to see
the road – and to
spot the potholes.
Light up in daylight
too, as trees can cast
dark, camouflaging
shadows over cyclists
BeSeen
The Proviz PixElite
range includes jackets,
gilet, gloves and
overshoes. Aim to
wear light, bright
clothes with lots of
reflective details
CheckBack
Regular glances
behind you, especially
prior to manoeuvres,
aren’t called the
cyclist’s ‘look of life’
for no reason
BeHeard
Make yourself heard
when navigating
blind corners or
hidden exits – a
bell, gear change or
just shouting out is
advisable especially
when overtaking
pedestrians on
country roads
Save
Yourself
How to be safe
on rural roads...
“Country roads, take
me home”, but make
sure you treat them
with respect
A car coming around
the corner at 60mph
will give you very little
time to react
“It’s becoming ever-more commonplace
to see commuters who are riding into
London from the suburbs on high-end
bikes, often at speeds of 25mph or more.
Along with the rise in numbers we’re
seeing an increase in the severity and
complexity of the types of injury.
“I’m treating many more chest
penetration injuries among cyclists than
ever before, usually following collisions
with opening car and van doors – in other
words when the only speed involved is
the velocity of the cyclist on impact.”
To reduce the number of fatalities, the
CPRE believes a revolution is needed in
ACharterFor
CountryCyclists
Among the proposals from the likes of the
CPRE and Sustrans – pioneers of safer
cycle routes – for making rural roads safer
for all and reducing the number of cyclists
killed on them are:
Minor rural roads
should also be
turned into 40mph
zones - a move
which, in the
Netherlands (left)
has proved even
more cost effective
in saving lives than
introducing 20mph
in cities. (Trials of
40mph zones on
narrow country
roads in the East
Riding of Yorkshire
have saved £10 for
every £1 spent.)
Lorry management
zones and a
national driver
education campaign
to encourage
considerate sharing
of rural roads.
Routes for cyclists.
A proportion of the
national roads
budget should be
spent on improving
– or in many areas
actually creating
– walking and
cycling routes
along and across
such roads.
Modernisation of
the law surrounding
investment in rights
of way networks and
greenways, such as
disused railway lines.
BENDS AND JUNCTIONS ON
RURAL ROADS ARE WHERE
CYCLISTS ARE
AT GREATEST RISK