The Guardian ran an article yesterday warning that 
cycling accidents are rising in Australia  (1). The writer, Nick Evershed, notes there's been ?a spate of  accidents involving cyclists in the last couple of weeks? and says it's  worth taking a look at the safety statistics:
Are things getting better or worse? In the past year and a  half cyclists have increased their share in the road toll, due to a  proportional increase in deaths in 2013 and 2014?In 2014 there were 26  deaths between January and May. There were 17 in the same period last  year. So the trend points to a further increase in annual deaths.
He draws his data on cycling fatalities from the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development's (BITRE) 
Australian road deaths database.  I've used the same source to create the exhibit, but I'm not persuaded  it makes a convincing case that the risk of dying is rising.
 It's evident from the exhibit that the long term trend over the 24  year period from 1989 to 2013 was a significant decline in the absolute  number of cycling deaths.
			
		
 
	
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