Advisory Cycle Lanes Increase Risk of Injury by 34%

16th December 2020

An academic study in London shows that painted advisory cycle lanes increase the risk of injury to cyclists by 34%, as against no infrastructure at all.

The research by Thomas Adams and Rachel Aldred, titled 'Cycling Injury Risk in London: Impacts of Road Characteristics and Infrastructure', also found that protected infrastructure reduces the chances of injury by 40-65%.

The key findings of this work are:

• The risk of injury increases threefold at junctions
• B-roads are relatively risky compared with both A-roads and residential roads
• Kerb-separated bike lanes reduce the odds of injury by 40%
• Stepped cycle tracks reduce the chances of being hurt by 65%
• Mandatory painted cycle lanes provide no safety benefit but neither do they increase the risk of injury
• Advisory cycle lanes increase the risk of injury by 34%
• Bus lanes reduce the risk of injury slightly

Safety in Numbers

The researchers were able to confirm the existence of a 'safety in numbers' effect, with a doubling of cyclists resulting in a 13% reduction in the chances of being injured.

A higher density of pedestrians increases the risk of injury (by 6%), as does a greater volume of traffic (but only marginally).

The researchers conclude that cycle infrastructure on main roads and at junctions must have physical protection, not just paint.