SOME of the Capital's most dangerous roads for cyclists have been laid bare in a new map of accident hot spots.
New police figures reveal there have been just under 2000 accidents involving cyclists in Edinburgh between 1998 and 2007, including six fatal crashes.
Among the worst spots for accidents were Lothian Road, Princes Street and Nicolson Street – w
here 35-year-old neuroscientist Dr Iain Wilson was killed on his bike earlier this year.
The bulk of accidents involving cyclists resulted in slight injuries though there have been more than two serious cyclist accidents a month in the Capital in the last ten years.
Research has shown how cycling gets safer the more people ride bikes and the increasing popularity of cycling in Edinburgh over the last decade – coupled with the introduction of dedicated cycle lanes – has seen the number of accidents drop.
In 1998 there was a total of 234 accidents recorded by the police, but this had dropped to 170 by last year.
Cycling groups today called for greater investment in bike lanes, starting with the area around Lothian Road.
But council chiefs said although they were committed to improving cycling facilities in the city, bike lanes on Lothian Road would increase traffic congestion too much.
Dave du Feu, spokesman for cycling lobby group Spokes, said: "The council's map of city centre crashes/injuries involving cyclists shows the greatest concentration to be along Lothian Road, between Fountainbridge and the West End. This is an area with no cycle lanes, and with advance stop lines missing at several junctions. However, it is crucial that this doesn't stop people from cycling in the centre of Edinburgh.
"It would be very wrong to assume there is an accident waiting every time a cyclist passes one of the points highlighted on the map.
"The map shows a ten-year picture, and it is very useful for highlighting places where the road system could be improved to benefit cyclists.
"But it does not mean that central Edinburgh is unsafe, as long as cyclists ride carefully and other road users give them room."
A study by Spokes earlier this year found cyclists made up 20 per cent of all traffic heading into the city along Lothian Road during the morning rush hour.
John Lauder, national director for Scotland for transport charity Sustrans, said: "The sheer number of accidents is concerning but there are a number of contributing factors behind this.
"These are obviously big feeder roads where people have no non-road options for cycling, speed is also a factor but we don't want to get into the blame game here because nobody wants these accidents to happen."
There have been a total of six cyclists killed on the city's roads since 1998.
There were two tragedies in 2004, when a young father and an Edinburgh student were killed while cycling home from work and university. Keen cyclist Scott Muir was knocked down and killed as he cycled through the Meadows, while Tristan Hewins, a postgraduate journalism student at Napier University, died after careering into a car.
Police chiefs today described the accident figures as concerning but called on both motorists and cyclists to exercise due care and attention when on the roads.
A spokesman said: "The number of cyclists being killed or seriously injured in the force area continues to be of concern.
"There is a growing trend towards cycling, with increasingly more people choosing to use their bike to commute to and from work, as well as for recreation.
"As the darker nights close in, it becomes ever more vital for cyclists to ensure they wear the appropriate high visibility clothing and protective equipment and make sure their bike is properly maintained, particularly in respect of lights, brakes and tyres.
"At the same time, cyclists should exercise due care and attention when on the roads, and the same rule applies to motorists."
A council spokeswoman said Edinburgh's cyclists now had a lower chance of being involved in an accident than 10 years ago.
She added: "The higher concentration of incidents in Lothian Road may be explained by the fact that it is a main arterial route which experiences heavier traffic and cycle use.
"Introducing additional facilities such as bike lanes on this road would be likely to increase traffic congestion on an already busy route and is therefore not considered suitable.
"Of course, even one accident is too many and the council will continue to work towards reducing the number of all road users being injured."
The full article contains 759 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
