Crashes resulting in injury and caused by a poor road surface are three times more likely to involve a cyclist or biker than all crashes.

AA research shows half (51%) of drivers have seen a cyclist swerve suddenly to avoid a pothole

That’s the finding of new research by the AA published as the 2019 Road Safety Week puts the focus on how cyclists and motorcyclists are among the most vulnerable road users in the UK.

Official statistics highlighted by the AA show in 2017, 545 vehicles were involved in injury crashes where a defective road surface was a contributory factor. Nearly half (45%) of those vehicles were bicycles (102) or motorbikes (141), yet these vehicles were only involved in 15% of crashes overall.

Potholes are potentially damaging for all vehicles, but for bicycles and motorbikes they pose even more of a threat; causing riders to fall or make sudden movements.

Edmund King, director of the AA Trust, said: “If a cyclist hits a pothole they can suffer serious injury from the fall, yet swerving into traffic is not an attractive alternative.

“All road users deserve a road network that is properly and safely surfaced and fit for purpose.”