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| London cyclists: Fifth of riders 'stop bike-commuting' | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| One in five cyclists in London say they have stopped cycling to work following the recent deaths on the capital's roads, a poll for BBC London has found. | One in five cyclists in London say they have stopped cycling to work following the recent deaths on the capital's roads, a poll for BBC London has found. |
| Com Res polled 1,070 adults, a quarter of whom said they were cyclists. | |
| The poll found 20% of cyclists were involved in a collision. Between 5 November and 18 November, six cyclists were killed on London's roads. | |
| The mayor's cycling commissioner Andrew Gilligan said "fear" was a "deterrent" but work is underway to improve safety. | |
| Transport for London (TfL) said cycling was not getting more dangerous in the capital. | |
| TfL's statistics show that from 2008 to 2012, there were 68 cyclist deaths while in the preceding five-year period from 2003 to 2007 the figure was 82. | |
| Using pavements | Using pavements |
| The number of cyclists in the capital has almost trebled in the past decade. | The number of cyclists in the capital has almost trebled in the past decade. |
| But the Com Res poll suggests there is still a perceived risk. | But the Com Res poll suggests there is still a perceived risk. |
| The polling consultancy's research found that following the six deaths in a two-week period: | The polling consultancy's research found that following the six deaths in a two-week period: |
| The survey polled 1,070 adults living in London between 19 and 25 November, of which about a quarter identified themselves as cyclists. | |
| Twenty percent of London cyclists told Com Res they had been involved in a collision. That increased to 26% for those who cycled at least once a week. | Twenty percent of London cyclists told Com Res they had been involved in a collision. That increased to 26% for those who cycled at least once a week. |
| The poll found 91% of those asked believed the compulsory wearing of helmets would improve safety. | The poll found 91% of those asked believed the compulsory wearing of helmets would improve safety. |
| However, among those who cycled at least once a week, the most popular safety proposal was the creation of cycle only routes, supported by 88% of those asked. | However, among those who cycled at least once a week, the most popular safety proposal was the creation of cycle only routes, supported by 88% of those asked. |
| Cycling deaths 'tragic' | |
| Seventy-nine per cent of those polled wanted Mayor Boris Johnson to do more to respond to the deaths and serious accidents among cyclists. | |
| TfL has said it is spending £1bn on road improvements. | |
| Last week, an operation also began to raise awareness of road safety among motorists and cyclists with police also handing out fines. | |
| Mr Gilligan has urged caution in interpreting trends from the poll saying the sample size was "manifestly tiny" and added the media's "all-consuming focus" on recent cycle deaths "has contributed to the fear that cyclists and potential cyclists feel". | |
| "We know that fear about safety is a real and major deterrent to cycling and the mayor is doing more than any other politician in the country to address it," he said. | |
| Money was being spent and new staff hired to "improve London's roads for cyclists, something that was happening before this recent tragic spate of deaths". |