Cycling is almost five times safer than driving for men under 21, a study shows. Researchers from University College London used hospital admissions data over a two-year period and responses to the National Transport Survey to compare safety levels for pedestrians, drivers and cyclists.

“What we found is that risks were similar for men aged between 21 and 49 for all three modes of transport and for female pedestrians and drivers aged between 21 and 69 years,” said Jennifer Mindell, the study’s lead author.

“However, we found that for young male cyclists between 17 and 20 years of age, cycling was markedly safer than travelling by car.” The researchers added: “Perceived road danger is a strong disincentive to cycling and many potential cyclists do not