Cyclists who ride on the pavement are seen to be a problem

Cyclists are almost as likely as drivers to cause serious injury to pedestrians, analysis of official figures shows.

The data, revealed by annual road casualty statistics, provoked calls for responsible cycling and the construction of dedicated facilities to keep cyclists out of conflict with other road users.

When serious injuries are measured as a proportion of distance travelled, cyclists injured 21 pedestrians per billion km travelled in 2012 compared with 24 pedestrians injured by drivers.

Cycling organisations acknowledge that cyclists who ride on the pavement are seen to be a problem. However, they point out that most collisions occur when pedestrians step out into the road without seeing or hearing a cyclist.

Roger Geffen, policy director at CTC, the national cycling charity, said: “CTC strongly