Top ten most bike-friendly UK cities – lighting to steepness
Cycling in the UK has surged by almost 200% since Covid lockdowns. The recent launch of the second cycling and walking investment strategy (CWIS2) has outlined the UK’s ambition to make active travel a natural choice for its people. Inspired, Claims.co.uk sought to reveal which UK city is the safest to cycle in, and which is the most dangerous?
After scraping over 12,000 cycling routes from a reputable cycling network site, and analysing the number of bike accidents, average steepness, surface quality, and lighting across cycling routes, the experts were able to ultimately assign a danger score for each UK city examined.
10 safest UK cities for cycling
For the complete data of all 41 UK cities analysed, please click here.
Claims.co.uk can reveal that Chelmsford is the safest UK city for cycling, earning an overall danger score of only 1.79/10. The number of bike crashes (16) is the second-lowest of all places analysed, being slightly behind Gloucester in fifth (12). Boasting an almost perfect road condition for cyclists, over 73% of paths are well-lit in the city.
Worcester takes second place with a danger score of 2.71/10. Where a few bike crashes have occurred, none reported were fatal, with average bike accident score being only 1.50/10. Despite road lighting usually being dimmer (8/10), bikers will find smooth and flat cycling paths across the city.
In third place is Nottingham, receiving a danger score of 3/10. With a bike accident score averaging 0.92/10 – 0.58 lower than Worcester (1.50/10) – this East Midlands city is a safe bet for bike lovers. Cycling paths around the area are in fairly good condition, with moderate road surface quality (5.25/10), and around 73% of cycling paths with an optimal amount of lighting.
10 most dangerous UK cities for cycling
Claims.co.uk can reveal that Birmingham is the most dangerous for cycling, as the city racks up an overall danger score of 7.38/10. Bikers are most likely to suffer from poorly-maintained road surfaces (9/10), and steep pathways where less than 50% are equipped with optimal lighting. These could thus contribute to the city’s bike accident score of 6.75/10.
