Nearly 400 cyclists have been killed or maimed over the last decade due to poorly maintained local roads, new figures reveal.
The figures were published by Jesse Norman, parliamentary under-secretary at the department of transport, in response to a question from Labour MP Catherine West.
They show that between 2007 and 2016 there were 22 cyclist deaths attributed to a poor or defective road surface. Over the same period there were 368 reported serious injuries.
‘Any death on our roads is deeply regrettable, no matter what the cause,’ said a Department for Transport spokesperson.
‘We have some of the safest roads in the world, but we will do everything we can to make our roads safer for everyone, including cyclists.’
‘That’s why we are investing a record £23bn on our roads to increase capacity and improve journeys.
‘This includes providing local highway authorities in England, outside London, with over £6bn to help improve roads, including a record £296m to help fix potholes and stop them forming.
‘While it is for councils to identify where repairs should be undertaken, we are also looking at how innovative technology can help them keep their roads in the best condition, saving money.’
Cllr Martin Tett, the Local Government Association’s (LGA) Transport spokesman, said councils wanted to do more to improve the condition of local roads but they were ‘trapped in an endless cycle of patching up our deteriorating network’.
In his response to separate reports out on the condition of local roads from the AA, RAC and Cycling UK, Cllr Tett said: ‘It would already take £12bn and more than a decade for councils to clear the current local roads repair backlog.
‘Only long-term and consistent investment in local road maintenance can allow councils to embark on the widespread improvement of our roads that is desperately needed, to the benefit of all road users up and down the country, including cyclists.’