It’s nearly October and new students are starting to arrive in Cambridge. Along with trunks of clothes, boxes of crockery and piles of books many bring (or buy) bikes for their time at University there, after all Cambridge is known as the 'city of cycling' and it is estimated that around 1 in every 5 journeys made is completed on a bike.
The Office for National Statistics confirmed Cambridge’s status as having the highest levels of cycling in England earlier this year in April, showing that 47% of adults cycle at least once a week (beating Oxford who scored 28%, not that there’s any rivalry).
There are various reasons that cycling has become so popular in places like Cambridge. There is of course the largely flat landscape but ample bike parking at the train station, fantastic bike hire schemes and the fact that students aren't allowed car parking permits all helps.
Cycling is often the fastest, cheapest, and safest way of getting around the city and many students make the most of this. However as more people use bikes on the roads the more chance there is of cycling accidents happening. Student cyclists in particular, seem at risk.
Figures from Cambridgeshire County Council indicate a rise in the number of accidents involvingcyclists between September, when few students have arrived in the city, and October, when the full complement is in residence. In October 2008 there were 22 per cent more bike accidents in Cambridge than the month before. In 2007 there was an whopping increase of 162.5 per cent between September and October and the year before it was 71 per cent.
And it’s not just accidents that students need to be aware of; October is also the worst month for cycle thefts in the city. Unfortunately in 2010 Cambridge was branded the most dangerous city for cyclists, being named as Britain’s "bike theft capital" and also the most hazardous in England and Wales.
The Student Advice Service for Cambridge offers advice to cyclists new to the area on their website
We hope that students take the time to read this and, if new to cycling also take advantage of the government’s bikeability scheme.
However if you’re unlucky enough to be involved in a collision while cycling please keep in mind the following:
If you are involved in a collision which causes damage or injury to any other person, vehicle, animal or property, you (everyone involved) MUST
- stop
- give your own and the vehicle owner’s name and address, and the registration number of the [motor] vehicle, to anyone having reasonable grounds for requiring them
- if you do not give your name and address at the time of the collision, report it to the police as soon as reasonably practicable, and in any case within 24 hours (Highway Code rule 286 and Road Traffic Act 1988 section 170)
- If no one was injured and both parties stopped at the scene and exchanged names and addresses there is no requirement to report the accident to the police. Road traffic law has been complied with and the police will not take a report.
- However, Injuries to cyclists may not be apparent at the time of a collision. You may be agitated, confused or just want to get away quickly from an unpleasant situation, and not realise you have been injured. So at the very minimum make sure you have contact details for the other party and take a note of any registration numbers, what happened etc. Also, bicycle forks are easily bent in a collision and this damage may not be immediately apparent.
Source: Cambridge Cycling Campaign
What to do if you Have Been Injured in a Cycling Accident
If anyone is injured, the incident must be reported to the police. For minor injuries there may be little that they will do. However, they are obliged to record the incident so that it appears in statistics, and you will need an incident number from the police if any insurance claim is involved.
Each year, hundreds of incidents are reported involving cyclists on roads in Cambridgeshire and in almost all instances the cyclist is the innocent party in a collision. If you were injured in a cycling accident as the result of someone’s negligence then you may be entitled to make a personal injury claim for compensation. See our previous post on cycling claims
We Can Help
Our friendly specialist advisors can talk to you about your situation and see if you have a valid compensation claim. There is no charge for this service and you are under no obligation to claim with us.
If you Have a Genuine Claim, Contact a Genuine Company.
May I Claim, is a trading name of R Costings Limited and our CRM number is 25770
If you’ve had an accident that wasn’t your fault and suffered an injury - you can trust us to handle your claim professionally.
Call us now on 0800 756 7774 and talk to us to find out if you have a claim - or fill in our Quick Claim form (on the right of this page).
http://info.mayiclaim.co.uk/personal_injury_compensation_claim_news/bid/316484/Bike-Accidents-and-Bicycle-Injuries-on-the-up-in-the-City-of-Cycling
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