I PLACED A FREEDOM OF INFORMATION request to Oxfordshire County Council to find out how many people were injured in Oxford between the years 2005-2009.
Why did I do that? Because Oxford is pretty cycle friendly – and even pedestrian friendly for that matter. There’s plenty of cycle lanes, the speed limit is 20MPH in many areas, and there’s heaps and heaps of students. Plus the buses are quite expensive.
The results are encouraging, considering the city is quite bike rich. Here’s the table those nice people from Oxfordshire County Council sent me under the FOI Act. Two deaths in five years doesn’t seem too bad to me, although 100% bad for the two individuals involved. Oxfordshire, in conjunction with Oxford City Council, is also pretty good at devising schemes to make the roads even safer for people living here.
The figures for 2009, marked * are for the months January to November, no data being available for December. Here’s the response to my FOI request.
|
Oxford pedal cyclist injuries 2005-2009
|
||||
|
Fatal
|
Serious
|
Slight
|
Total
|
|
| 2005 |
0
|
16
|
142
|
158
|
| 2006 |
0
|
33
|
113
|
146
|
| 2007 |
1
|
20
|
132
|
152
|
| 2008 |
0
|
20
|
143
|
163
|
| 2009* |
1
|
26
|
121
|
148
|
Unfortunately In United States People have Made BIG Deal Out of Bicycle Lanes & Are virtually UnUsed. Entire downtown Streets In Minneapolis Have Entire Lane of Direction Cut off. Bicycles should Use Lane In CutOffReverse Direction ,yet goes Lane Empty. Street Now Needlessly One Way, Complexifying traffic greatly. Probably more People Lose Life due to BiCycle Lanes In Auto Accidents, Let alone wsted time & Gas, than BiCycle Lanes Could Be of Any Help. Seems Sham That appeals to Children Whom BiCycle.
BTW Tom Foremski Writes For Columbia BroadCast Service on ZDNet, EveryDay.
Additionally, Lets State: Bicycleing Gets User Coasted In Dirt & Mud, Has NO Ability to Haul Shopping goods, Is Realm of Those with NO Drivers License & Expensive Per Mile, As Bicycle Is One of Most Stolen Items in City.
If you want to see where the accidents occurred, look at
http://labs.timesonline.co.uk/blog/2009/03/11/uk-cycling-accidents/