Transport for London (TfL) has published casualty statistics that show the number of people tragically killed on London's roads in 2021 fell by 22 per cent to the lowest level on record, compared to a seven per cent increase nationally.
Despite this decrease, overall casualties have increased since the coronavirus lockdowns ended and traffic has returned, and continued action is needed to achieve the Mayor's Vision Zero goal of eliminating death and serious injury from the transport network.
Whilst travel habits continued to change in 2021, the lifting of most pandemic restrictions in July 2021 saw a gradual return to normal activity. As traffic returned to pre-pandemic levels, the number of people who were killed or seriously injured increased by 17 per cent, rising from 3,070 in 2020 to 3,580 in 2021.
This week is Vision Zero week, with TfL, the Metropolitan Police, London boroughs and the Mayor working together to highlight the problem of road danger and the trauma caused by collisions, and generate awareness of Vision Zero across all Londoners.
Vulnerable road users continue to be most at risk with people walking, cycling and motorcycling making up 81 per cent of all people killed or seriously injured in 2021. The number of people killed while cycling in 2021 was down by 40 per cent on the 2005-09 baseline, from 17 to 10 people. However, serious injuries to people cycling increased by 54 per cent. This partly reflects increases in the number of journeys cycled, with the most recent figures showing the share of road journeys by bicycle almost doubling to four per cent.
Since the start of the pandemic, TfL has worked closely with boroughs across the capital to invest in the walking and cycling infrastructure needed to enable increases in active travel and keep people walking and cycling safe. This includes more than 100km of new or upgraded cycle lanes, 89 Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, and 322 'School Streets'. By autumn 2021, 19.4 per cent of Londoners lived within 400 metres of a cycle route, an increase of approximately 750,000 residents since 2019.