The most dangerous roads to cycle on in Oxford are Botley Road and Iffley Road, according to traffic accident data.

Research by Boyes Turner solicitors looks at data from the Department for Transport (Dtf). The data shows there were record numbers of cycling deaths in 2020 in the UK, with 140, accounting for 10 per cent of all road fatalities and the highest single year figure across the last 10 years.

According to Crashmap, which uses Dft data to highlight the areas which the highest number of cycling collisions, Oxford is among the dangerous cities in the UK for cyclists.

In Oxford alone there were 717 reported accidents in the last five years.

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Botley Road is shown to be the location of the most fatal accidents including cyclists, with three cyclists being killed in the last five years.

Iffley Road is the most common location of serious accidents for cyclists in the city, with 105 serious accidents occurring on this road since 2016.

In 2020, 84 accidents involving cyclists were recorded within and on the ring road in Oxford.

The data on crashmap shows accident that were ‘slight’, ‘serious’ and ‘fatal’.

On Botley road last year four ‘slight’ accidents occurred and on The Plain roundabout in St Clement’s alone, four ‘slight’ incidents were also recorded.

On Iffley Road three ‘slight’ crashes were recorded and one ‘serious’ crash was recorded in 2020.

On the Horsepath Driftway near the Eastern By-pass Road one ‘fatal’ incident has been recorded.

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This week is road safety week, it was introduced by Brake, a road safety charity, to raise awareness for road safety issues.

In the winter, there is an increase in fatal road accidents involving cyclists. Adverse weather conditions such as torrential rain, black ice, snow, fog and high winds make it hard for motorists and cyclists to maintain control of their vehicle or bike during the winter months. As a result, there is an increase in fatal road accidents.

Oxfordshire County Council said it is working to create better cycle routes.

A spokesperson said: "The council is committed to ensuring that active travel options, including cycling are an integral part of road infrastructure and planning. We are making investments across the county to improve cycling and walking facilities. The most recent proposals to help cycling be safer in Oxford are the Quickways cycle routes and improvements to the Woodstock Road corridor. The Quickways scheme proposes to create dedicated cycle routes on some of the city’s busiest roads (including the Iffley Road), starting from later next year. Consultations on both these proposals are currently open.

"Cycling improvements are taking place along the central section of Botley Road to create a safer and continuous route along the corridor. This includes changes to several junctions along the route, notably changing the layout of junctions to encourage a reduction in the speed of vehicles using them, and providing additional cycle lanes to provide a clearly marked space for cyclists.

"The council carefully analyses information on road traffic accidents involving pedal cyclists as received from Thames Valley Police to identify the locations – both ‘hotspots’ and routes – of particular concern."

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