CAMPAIGNERS have called for increased safety measures to curb a steep increase in the number of injuries suffered by cyclists in Lancashire.

New data released by Lancashire Police showed there were 127 ‘fatal or serious injury’ collisions in 2013/14, compared to 89 in 2013/14 and 75 in 2011/12.

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Only last month, former international cyclist David Hitchen died after a crash in Belmont, near Darwen.

Police believe he was involved in a crash with a motorcycle, but have not been able to trace the other party.

Rosslyn Colderley, region-al director for the Sustrans charity, said: “Despite government assurances that our roads are getting safer, we still see too many cycling and walking deaths and serious injuries.

“Worries about safety on the roads deter people from walking and cycling and promote a growing fear among parents that children are safer inside the car than out. This leads to increased traffic, air pollution and increasing obesity.”

Northern Soul, a website dedicated to life in the North of England, has recently launched a ‘Cycle for Change’ charter, calling for several measures to improve safety.

It wants cycling prof-iciency tests to be compulsory in schools, a legal requirement for lorries entering cities to be equipped with sensors and safety bars, improvements to the most dangerous junctions and a dedicated budget for cycling.

The campaign has been backed by Andrew Stephenson, MP for Pendle, who said: “We want to encourage more people to use their bikes, but the number of avoidable accidents and deaths must be addressed.”

The 127 incidents last year represented 16 per cent of all road collisions resulting in serious injuries or death, compared to 12 per cent in the previous year.

A spokesman for Lanca-shire Police said: “Any increase to the number of road casualties is of great concern to us and we should not be complacent which is why we are always committed to improving road safety.

“There have been a number of recent campaigns focusing on road safety across Lancashire, one of which was a campaign targeted at motorists and cyclists to raise awareness of each other’s presence on the roads.”