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See every cyclist crash since 2005 on new CycleStreets maps

Building a solid factual case for improvements is important, says team behind map

Every British cyclist collision since 2005 will be available on a map in a move campaigners hope will spur action from government.

CycleStreets, the open mapping software for journey planning, has announced a new map layer called Bikedata.

Alongside the collisions, it will also show cycle parking, cycle theft, planning applications and traffic counts.

As BikeBiz reports, some teething trouble with the app appears to show collisions in the river Thames in London, raising questions about the accuracy of some of the data.

Coder Martin Lucas-Smith told the website: "We believe there's an offset error with the DfT's 2016 data which we reported, explaining those in the Thames.”

The beta website is still in testing.

On their blog, CycleStreets wrote:

“Getting more people cycling means improving the infrastructure on our streets so that everyone, whatever ability or level of confidence, is able to cycle easily and safely.

“To achieve this, cycling campaign groups around the country work daily to make the case for cycling. They look at traffic consultations, propose changes to the highway, scrutinise planning applications, and work with local people and their local council to achieve these improvements.

“Getting changes on the ground involves both a solid factual case for improvements as well as making an emotional case. For instance, reducing speed limits to tame traffic relies on having good access to collision data to demonstrate that there is a problem.”

The company hopes to push on to include more data in maps, including pollution, taxis and school travel.

 

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21 comments

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ahbrims | 6 years ago
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This doesn't include all cycle crashes! Only the ones the police correctly record to the data. I only know of a few incidents (2014-16), including a mulitple fraction, that had Hampshire Police involment, but there are not listed. 

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Al__S replied to ahbrims | 6 years ago
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ahbrims wrote:

This doesn't include all cycle crashes! Only the ones the police correctly record to the data. I only know of a few incidents (2014-16), including a mulitple fraction, that had Hampshire Police involment, but there are not listed. 

"Every cycle crash reported to and properly recorded by the police" makes for an unwieldy headline. Cyclestreets of course can only work with data that exists; crashes not properly recoded are a data set that does not exist because of the lack of recording

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Sevenfold | 6 years ago
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It's got my RTC recorded (Berkswell crossroads) - only error I can see is the incident time (maybe the Police recorded the time they were notified rather than the actual incident time?) Would be a good add-on to show if any of the individuals involved were prosecuted, went on a driving course etc.  if this information is available.

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Bmblbzzz | 6 years ago
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If you click on the details for an individual crash, it gives casualty, driver and vehicle "IMD deciles." What do these mean? Thanks! 

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Bmblbzzz replied to Bmblbzzz | 6 years ago
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Bmblbzzz wrote:

If you click on the details for an individual crash, it gives casualty, driver and vehicle "IMD deciles." What do these mean? Thanks! 

Found it. Index of Multiple Deprivation. 

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alansmurphy | 6 years ago
2 likes

Rich_cb wrote:

"Please note that these lists include more fatalities than are expected in the official STATS19 data. These lists include ... deaths occurring 30 or more days later than the collision, none of which contribute to official DfT figures"

 

Bloody cyclists, hanging on to life for 30 or more days to distort the figures, and they don't pay road tax, probably weren't wearing a helmet!

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RMurphy195 | 6 years ago
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Shows mine on there on Mothers Day 2015. Seems accurate to me, and reflects the police report but unsurprisingly does not identify individuals - nor does it record the recommended prosecutions (of the vehicle driver in my case).

Quite clearly illustrates the junction concerned as a black spot, IMHO. I had a car hit me on the same junction a few years ago (in my car) - no injuries but it's a black spot to me as well as in general!

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burtthebike | 6 years ago
1 like

An excellent idea and it will show problems on routes used by many cyclists, but what it won't show is the roads that cyclists avoid because they are so dangerous.  These need at least as much attention as the others.

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embattle | 6 years ago
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Give the conspiracy theories a rest, there will be gaps because people don't report all accidents etc.

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hawkinspeter | 6 years ago
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Just installed that app, but all I get is a loading screen before it closes again.

Good idea, but let's hope the same data overlay can be used by a better app.

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rogermerriman | 6 years ago
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The problem with this sort of stuff, is it only uses Data from DfT/police STATS19 so there will be gaps, Bushy Park, Hounslow Heath, along the Thames tow path are all suspiciously empty, Though Richmond park has off road data, I know there are gaps since it doesnt include my own head smashing moment.

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brooksby replied to rogermerriman | 6 years ago
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rogermerriman wrote:

The problem with this sort of stuff, is it only uses Data from DfT/police STATS19 so there will be gaps, Bushy Park, Hounslow Heath, along the Thames tow path are all suspiciously empty, Though Richmond park has off road data, I know there are gaps since it doesnt include my own head smashing moment.

And don't forget that many police actively discourage reporting of cycling collisions where it's not been a genuine "go-to-hospital-after-the-police-attend" type incident...

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Grahamd replied to brooksby | 6 years ago
0 likes

brooksby wrote:

rogermerriman wrote:

The problem with this sort of stuff, is it only uses Data from DfT/police STATS19 so there will be gaps, Bushy Park, Hounslow Heath, along the Thames tow path are all suspiciously empty, Though Richmond park has off road data, I know there are gaps since it doesnt include my own head smashing moment.

And don't forget that many police actively discourage reporting of cycling collisions where it's not been a genuine "go-to-hospital-after-the-police-attend" type incident...

How can you say that? Police forces have audits to check that they correctly record all incidents and failures always make the news, oh hang on...

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BehindTheBikesheds replied to Grahamd | 6 years ago
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Grahamd wrote:

brooksby wrote:

rogermerriman wrote:

The problem with this sort of stuff, is it only uses Data from DfT/police STATS19 so there will be gaps, Bushy Park, Hounslow Heath, along the Thames tow path are all suspiciously empty, Though Richmond park has off road data, I know there are gaps since it doesnt include my own head smashing moment.

And don't forget that many police actively discourage reporting of cycling collisions where it's not been a genuine "go-to-hospital-after-the-police-attend" type incident...

How can you say that? Police forces have audits to check that they correctly record all incidents and failures always make the news, oh hang on...

We had 130 cyclists dying on UK roads last year yet only 102 reported in the gov stats, that's not sloppy or incompetent, that's deliberately misreporting as part of an agenda IMHO.

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Rich_cb replied to BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
2 likes
BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

We had 130 cyclists dying on UK roads last year yet only 102 reported in the gov stats, that's not sloppy or incompetent, that's deliberately misreporting as part of an agenda IMHO.

It was bullshit when you posted it a few days ago, it's still bullshit now.

Here's the caveat you conveniently forget to mention.

"Please note that these lists include more fatalities than are expected in the official STATS19 data. These lists include medical deaths, Northern Ireland deaths, and deaths occurring 30 or more days later than the collision, none of which contribute to official DfT figures"

Stop posting lies.

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FluffyKittenofT... replied to Rich_cb | 6 years ago
3 likes
Rich_cb wrote:
BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

We had 130 cyclists dying on UK roads last year yet only 102 reported in the gov stats, that's not sloppy or incompetent, that's deliberately misreporting as part of an agenda IMHO.

It was bullshit when you posted it a few days ago, it's still bullshit now.

Here's the caveat you conveniently forget to mention.

"Please note that these lists include more fatalities than are expected in the official STATS19 data. These lists include medical deaths, Northern Ireland deaths, and deaths occurring 30 or more days later than the collision, none of which contribute to official DfT figures"

Stop posting lies.

Not that I think it matters hugely whether its 102 or 130, and not that I agree it's "deliberate misreporting", but does this mean that the official figures don't include Northern Ireland? So they aren't UK figures so much as Great Britain figures? What's the reason for that?

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Rich_cb replied to FluffyKittenofTindalos | 6 years ago
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FluffyKittenofTindalos wrote:

Not that I think it matters hugely whether its 102 or 130, and not that I agree it's "deliberate misreporting", but does this mean that the official figures don't include Northern Ireland? So they aren't UK figures so much as Great Britain figures? What's the reason for that?

The PSNI collect accident data using a different format so it's not directly comparable with the data from the rest of the UK.

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tarquin_foxglove replied to Rich_cb | 6 years ago
2 likes

Rich_cb wrote:

"Please note that these lists include more fatalities than are expected in the official STATS19 data. These lists include ... deaths occurring 30 or more days later than the collision, none of which contribute to official DfT figures"

A colleague was knocked off & suffered a minor injuries, 6 weeks or so later a blood clot caused a blockage in his heart & he died.  Mid 30's & very fit no history of DVT, left a wife & 2 young children.

According to the Police & Local Authority the road has no KSI's and so is a low priority for intervention.

So FWIW I think it is important to capture information (as long as it is accurate) that falls outside of STATS19 and use that to build a fuller picture of the incidents that happen on a particular stretch.

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kil0ran replied to brooksby | 6 years ago
0 likes

brooksby wrote:

rogermerriman wrote:

The problem with this sort of stuff, is it only uses Data from DfT/police STATS19 so there will be gaps, Bushy Park, Hounslow Heath, along the Thames tow path are all suspiciously empty, Though Richmond park has off road data, I know there are gaps since it doesnt include my own head smashing moment.

And don't forget that many police actively discourage reporting of cycling collisions where it's not been a genuine "go-to-hospital-after-the-police-attend" type incident...

Interesting to see that my accident (cyclist to cyclist collision resulting in me hitting the back of a parked car) is classed as "Serious". All I had was a cut finger which needed 5 or 6 stitches, walk-in job rather than ambulance.

 

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rogermerriman replied to brooksby | 6 years ago
0 likes

brooksby wrote:

rogermerriman wrote:

The problem with this sort of stuff, is it only uses Data from DfT/police STATS19 so there will be gaps, Bushy Park, Hounslow Heath, along the Thames tow path are all suspiciously empty, Though Richmond park has off road data, I know there are gaps since it doesnt include my own head smashing moment.

And don't forget that many police actively discourage reporting of cycling collisions where it's not been a genuine "go-to-hospital-after-the-police-attend" type incident...

 

Police dont attend every collision, after all the London parks are off the public highway and a lot will be single vehicle, which is still quite possible to be a serious injury, I had a life changing crash nearly four years ago, Blued and Twoed to the nearest Trauma Center, but no police, to the best of my knowledge, I lost a week or so of memory, as you do.

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kil0ran replied to rogermerriman | 6 years ago
1 like

rogermerriman wrote:

The problem with this sort of stuff, is it only uses Data from DfT/police STATS19 so there will be gaps, Bushy Park, Hounslow Heath, along the Thames tow path are all suspiciously empty, Though Richmond park has off road data, I know there are gaps since it doesnt include my own head smashing moment.

Better than nothing though - the sheer volume of KSIs means that you can infer safe/less safe routes for your commute from this data

 

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