Headline figures for road casualties were published yesterday (26 June) by the Department for Transport, revealing mixed results about cycle casualties. The figure for deaths of cyclists has fallen from 146 in 2006 to 136, with the figure for child deaths falling to 13 from the extraordinary high of 31 last year. Adult fatalities have risen slightly. Overall road fatalities have fallen below 3,000 for the first time since records began in the 1930s. On cyclists’ serious injuries the news is less good – a 6% increase to 2,428. We do not yet know whether the casualty rate per mile travelled has changed until figures on cycle use in 2007 emerge next month. CTC believe that the rate of casualty, not absolute casualty numbers, should be the target for any future road safety policy and there is overwhelming evidence that where cycling increases the rate of cycle casualties fall.