How Dangerous is Cycling in London?

Sam Collard

Cycling in London is safer than it was, but not for everyone. In 2025, six people were killed while cycling on London’s roads, down from nine in 2024 and the second-lowest number on record, according to Transport for London. That is despite more cycling than ever: about 1.5 million cycle journeys a day, up nearly 13 per cent in a year.

Serious injuries tell a different story. In 2025, 1,196 people cycling were seriously injured, up 21 per cent on 2024. Cycling is the only way of travelling in London where serious injuries are now higher than in TfL’s 2010 to 2014 baseline. People cycling now account for almost a quarter of everyone injured on London’s roads.

Is cycling in London safe?

Many people who cycle in London every day will tell you it is worth it, but how risky is it? A little context: in 2025, 23,792 people were injured on London’s roads, the lowest number on record. Of those, 5,675 were people cycling. That is 14 per cent more cyclist injuries than in TfL’s 2010 to 2014 baseline, at a time when injuries to almost everyone else on the roads have fallen. Part of the rise reflects how many more people now cycle in London, including on hire bikes and e-bikes.

Health Benefits

And then there are the health benefits. Fresh air is not the main benefit of cycling in London.

In terms of the overall health dividend, there is little doubt that regular cycling boosts health and fitness and reduces the long-term risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Cycle Accident Risks & Safety Measures

There are some cycle accident risks that are beyond a cyclists’s control: the bad driving of larger and more dangerous vehicles in particular, but knowledge and anticipation of particular dangers can save the cyclist from injury.

Lorries remain one of the biggest dangers to people cycling in London, especially when they turn left at junctions and a cyclist is trapped against the kerb. Staying behind a stationary lorry, rather than alongside it, could make all the difference. Since 2019, London’s Direct Vision Standard has required lorries over 12 tonnes to hold a permit to enter the city, based on how well the driver can see people around the cab. TfL reports that, on average over 2022 to 2024, six fewer people walking, cycling or motorcycling were killed, and 21 fewer seriously injured, in collisions with these lorries each year.
London’s cycling is also changing. TfL reports a sharp rise in injuries to people using hire bikes, both pedal and electric, and a worrying increase in children hurt while cycling: 49 child cyclists were seriously injured in 2025, compared with 21 in 2024. TfL has also raised concerns about the growing use of bikes that are not road legal. Read our guide to the law on e-bikes and e-scooters.

By riding defensively and assuming other road users find you invisible, you may also avoid that car driver on his mobile turning right across your path or the white van driver parking and then opening his offside door as you cycle past. Since 2022, the Highway Code has given people cycling more priority, including a hierarchy of road users that places the greatest responsibility on drivers of larger vehicles. Read our guide to the Highway Code rules for cyclists.

Fit a bell to the handlebars. It need not be a trilling St Trinians bell, just one that is loud enough to deter pedestrians from wandering out in front of you.

When you ride at night, the law requires a white front light and a red rear light, as well as a red rear reflector and amber pedal reflectors. Flashing lights are allowed and are often more visible. Many lights are detachable and can be clipped to your helmet, rucksack or bag.

You can complement your flashing/steady red/white/yellow lights with some high-visibility clothing. It is not (yet) compulsory but most cycling kit now comes in loud colours and with reflective strips. It is easy to be conspicuous. Indeed at night it is hard not to look like a Christmas tree.

Helmets are not compulsory for cyclists in the UK, and the evidence on how much they protect is debated. Most experts agree, though, that a helmet reduces the risk of a serious head injury in many types of fall. Read our guide: do you have to wear a bike helmet?

If you suffer a head injury in an accident and were not wearing a helmet, the other side’s insurers may argue that your compensation should be reduced for contributory negligence. Whether they succeed depends on the facts, and in particular on whether a helmet would actually have prevented or reduced your injury.

Importantly, the same legal protections apply whether you’re riding a standard bicycle or an electric bike. Our team also handles e-bike accident claims.

Conclusion

Cycling to work, like any physical activity, carries some risk of injury, but for most people the benefits far outweigh it.

How we can help

If you have been injured while cycling in London, our cycling accident solicitors can advise you on a claim, including claims involving lorries, hire bikes and e-bikes. We have offices in Camden and Hampstead.

To speak with one of our solicitors, contact us by:

• Filling in our online enquiry form; or
• Calling us on 020 7485 8811