Monday, October 27, 2025

Cycling ‘near misses’ in London worst at rush hour and on roads without dedicated infrastructure

University College London

The types, locations and causes of cycling ‘near misses’ in London have been mapped using helmet-mounted cameras and GPS devices to track commuter journeys, in a new study from UCL researchers that provides valuable data for improving road safety.

The study, published in Accident Analysis and Prevention, is the first to combine real-time verbal reporting of incidents with panoramic video footage and GPS data to understand the behavioural and environmental factors contributing to ‘near misses’ (where a crash between a cyclist and another road user or pedestrian is narrowly avoided).

It involved 60 London-based cyclists who recorded their commute on 360-degree helmet cameras over a two-week period, resulting in 317 hours of footage and 94 near miss events (there were no actual crashes during the study period).

The most common near miss was a close pass, where a vehicle overtakes a cyclist too closely, followed by incidents where vehicles turned across the cyclist’s path (known as left or right hooks), and vehicles pulling out from side roads or parking spaces.

Near miss events were most likely to occur during peak commuting hours (07:00-09:59 in the morning and 17:00-19:59 in the afternoon) and on roads without dedicated cycling infrastructure, such as on-road cycle lanes, cycle lanes physically separated from traffic and shared-use off-road paths.

In total, 58 out of 94 near misses occurred during peak hours and 69 occurred on roads without cycling infrastructure.

Professor Nicola Christie, senior author of the study from UCL Centre for Transport Studies, said: “Cycling near misses are often overlooked in official statistics, yet they are crucial indicators of road safety. Our findings show that most near misses happen on roads without cycling infrastructure, and that junctions are particularly hazardous.”

Using computer modelling, the researchers found that higher cycling speeds and more time spent on cycleways away from main roads were associated with fewer near misses. In contrast, time spent on 30mph roads, cycling during the morning rush hour and previously having experienced a solo crash without another vehicle being involved were linked to higher near miss rates.

Dr James Haworth, an author of the study from SpaceTimeLab, based in UCL Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, said: “In general, our findings support the idea that creating dedicated cycling infrastructure and well-planned cycle routes has a positive impact on road safety. Cycleways navigating through quieter residential streets – formerly called ‘quietways’ – were associated with fewer near misses, despite the fact the rider shares the lane with motor vehicles. We believe the reason for this is that these roads often have less traffic, 20mph speed limits and no space to overtake.

“That being said, we did observe near misses on segregated cycle ways – formerly called cycle superhighways in London – where riders and vehicles come into conflict. This was evident where vehicles have to pull out from side roads across the cycle way, for example, or have to turn across oncoming traffic into a side road, particularly in congested periods where visibility is limited.

“So I would say that there is some evidence that using quiet, residential streets for cycle ways is working as a policy because it keeps bicycle traffic away from car traffic.

“There were also some slightly surprising findings in our study, such as faster riders experiencing fewer near misses. One theory that could explain this is that 20mph limits bring the speeds of vehicles and bicycles closer together – but that’s something that would require further investigation.”

The research also revealed that cars were the most frequently involved vehicle type in near misses (52 incidents), followed by vans (13 incidents) and pedestrians (11 incidents). Interestingly, no near misses involved heavy goods vehicles, which the authors suggest may reflect the success of Transport for London’s safety campaigns and vehicle sensor requirements.

Between 2004 and 2024, cycling activity rose by 39% in Great Britain, which may be linked to more people choosing low-carbon forms of transport and faster commute times in congested cities.

But while the number of cyclists killed on roads fell by 35% during this period to 82 deaths in 2024, the number of serious injuries rose by 16% with 3,822 incidents in 2024. These figures likely underestimate the many cyclists that are injured falling from their bike because of poor quality road surfaces, collisions with pedestrians, other cyclists or animals as these often go unreported.

Professor Christie concluded: “One of the benefits of using helmet-mounted cameras and voice-activated reporting as we did in this study is that they offer an easy and effective way to gather data on cycling safety, which can be used to evaluate the impact of infrastructure changes and safety campaigns.

“This research adds to the growing evidence that cycling infrastructure helps protect cyclists and that Transport for London's action plan to improve cycling safety is leading to paying off.”

The study was funded by the Road Safety Trust and supported by organisations including the London Road Safety Council, Transport for London, and the All Party Parliamentary Group on Cycling.

Ruth Purdie OBE, Chief Executive at The Road Safety Trust, said: “It’s important that we fully understand the incidents and near misses that cyclists experience if we are to make improvements to road infrastructure that support safe cycling.

“That’s why I’m pleased that we were able to help fund this study which used innovative techniques to capture the data, and I look forward to seeing how the findings are applied to help make our roads even safer for cyclists.”

Notes to Editors:

For more information, please contact:

Dr Matt Midgley

+44 (0)20 7679 9064

m.midgley@ucl.ac.uk

Publication:

Nicola Christie et al. ‘Spatiotemporal and Behavioural Correlates of Cycling Near Misses: Evidence from Helmet-Mounted Video Data’ is published in Accident Analysis and Prevention and is strictly embargoed until Tuesday 28 October 2025 at 00:01 BST / 27 October at 18:01 ET

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2025.108272

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Journal

Accident Analysis & Prevention

DOI

10.1016/j.aap.2025.108272

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Spatiotemporal and Behavioural Correlates of Cycling Near Misses: Evidence from Helmet-Mounted Video Data’

Article Publication Date

27-Oct-2025

New mapping identifies urgent opportunities to strengthen Singapore’s children’s mental health ecosystem

Comprehensive mapping of mental health promotion, prevention and literacy programs for children aged 3–11: 43 initiatives reviewed across schools, healthcare, and civil society providers.

Duke-NUS Medical School

Strengthening Singapore’s children’s mental health ecosystem — image:
Researchers with their study: *Children’s Mental Health and Wellbeing in Singapore: A Landscape Brief*
view more
Credit: Duke-NUS Medical School

SINGAPORE, 28 October 2025 – A new report from the SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute (SDGHI), supported by the Octava Foundation, has mapped Singapore’s programmes supporting children’s mental health.

The study, Children’s Mental Health and Wellbeing in Singapore: A Landscape Brief, reviewed 43 programmes across public, private and civil society providers. While it found a vibrant ecosystem committed to accessibility and inclusion, with strong momentum and promising initiatives, the report also noted some areas to strengthen, including fragmentation, workforce gaps, and a lack of sustainable funding. Mental health disorders currently account for 28.2% of the disease burden among children, adolescents, and young adults.

Key findings

The report identifies a dynamic and committed landscape of mental health support for children in Singapore. The mapping of 43 programmes reveals a strong foundation, with many initiatives effectively combining promotion, prevention, and literacy, and being deeply embedded within schools and communities. Building on this, the study points to an opportunity to enhance coordination and create more seamless support pathways between these valuable services:

Funding: Programmes need sustainable, multi-year funding to deliver deeper, long-term impact and support robust evaluation and workforce development.
System gaps: Stronger coordination is required to create seamless support pathways across the 43 mapped programmes.
Evidence and evaluation: Rigorous evaluation methods should be embedded from the outset to strengthen effectiveness and accountability.
Workforce capacity: The specialised child mental health workforce needs building to meet demand and improve service quality.
Participation barriers: Uptake is limited by time constraints; participation increases when activities are framed around practical life skills.
Engagement levers: Direct involvement of caregivers and teachers improves programme success and should be prioritised.
Age skew: Provision is largely school-based and geared towards older children; the crucial 3–5 age group remains under-served.
Inclusion: While many programmes adapt for different cultures, languages, and abilities, expansion in early years is needed to realise equitable access.

Recommendations

The following highlight some of the key recommendations to strengthen funding, capacity, coordination, and child-centred practice across Singapore’s children’s mental health ecosystem; further recommendations are detailed in the full report.

Funding: Complement existing grants with multiyear funding to sustain delivery, build expert teams, and scale successful pilots.
Workforce capacity: Invest in training, upskilling, and retention across health, education, and social sectors; use tasks-haring models with strong supervision to expand reach.
Early years: Expand interventions for the crucial 3–5 age group and equip parents and early educators with practical social-emotional tools.
Sector coordination: Support platforms for knowledge exchange, referrals, and codesign among schools, community organisations, healthcare providers, and government.
Child participation: Move beyond protection-only models to embed child-friendly information, voice, and choice, ensuring children actively shape their wellbeing journey.

Reflecting on the report's findings, the authors and their partners emphasise that turning these insights into lasting impact will require a whole-of-society effort:

“Overcoming hurdles like stigma and limited access requires a unified, collaborative effort," said Professor Anne-Claire Stona, lead of the Global Mental Health Programme at SDGHI. "This report provides a data-driven roadmap for our partners to strengthen Singapore’s children’s mental health ecosystem and ensure every child can flourish.”

Raman Sidhu, CEO of Octava Foundation, noted: “This landscape map shows strong intent in Singapore to secure the mental wellbeing of our children and young people — even as sustained funding and delivery capacity are still developing. Strong mental wellbeing foundations are built in childhood. We need sustained investment in prevention and promotion efforts, alongside capacity-building for locally designed, evidence-informed solutions. At Octava Foundation, we are committed to supporting preventive and promotive approaches that strengthen mental wellbeing through the formative years.”

Methodology of the study

The study used a mixed-methods approach: a semi-structured survey mapping 43 programmes; 32 in-depth interviews with programme leads and practitioners; and a validation workshop with 47 stakeholders across public, private and non-profit sectors. The work aligns with the WHO–UNICEF Service Guidance on the Mental Health of Children and Young People (2024) and Singapore’s National Mental Health and Well-being Strategy (2023).

Call to action

Children’s Mental Health and Wellbeing in Singapore: A landscape brief invites funders, policymakers, schools and community organisations to collaborate on:

Multi-year, flexible funding models that prioritise equity and scale
Workforce development for child-focused mental health across sectors
Early-years (3–5) interventions and parent-facing supports
Shared evaluation and referral infrastructure to reduce fragmentation

Children’s Mental Health and Wellbeing in Singapore: A landscape brief is available from the SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute here.

Method of Research

Case study

Subject of Research

People

New antibiotic for drug-resistant bacteria found hiding in plain sight

Discovery of new intermediates in methylenomycin pathway 100 times more active against drug-resistant Gram-positive bacteria

University of Warwick

pre-methylenomycin C lactone potency image — image:
The biosynthesis pathway of methylenomcyin A as discovered in this experiment. The new precursors, especialliy pre-methylenomycin C lactone, show increased potency against Gram-positive bacterial pathogen compared to the original methylenomycin A.
view more
Credit: Greg Challis/University of Warwick

Chemists from the University of Warwick and Monash University have discovered a promising new antibiotic that shows activity against drug-resistant bacterial pathogens, including MRSA and VRE

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the world’s most urgent health challenges, with the WHO’s new report showing there are ‘too few antibacterials in the pipeline’. Most of the ‘low-hanging fruit’ has already been found, and the limited commercial incentives deter investment in antibiotic discovery.

In a new study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, researchers from the Monash Warwick Alliance Combatting Emerging Superbug Threats Initiative have discovered a promising new antibiotic - pre-methylenomycin C lactone. The newly discovered antibiotic was ‘hiding in plain sight’ — as an intermediate chemical in the natural process that produces the well-known antibiotic methylenomycin A.

Co-lead author of the study, Professor Greg Challis, in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Warwick, and Biomedicine Discovery Institute at Monash University says: “Methylenomycin A was originally discovered 50 years ago and while it has been synthesized several times, no-one appears to have tested the synthetic intermediates for antimicrobial activity! By deleting biosynthetic genes, we discovered two previously unknown biosynthetic intermediates, both of which are much more potent antibiotics than methylenomycin A itself.”

When tested for antimicrobial activity, one of the intermediates, pre-methylenomycin C lactone, was shown to be over 100 times more active against diverse Gram-positive bacteria than the original antibiotic methylenomycin A. Specifically, it was shown to be effective against S. aureus and E. faecium, the bacterial species behind Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) respectively.

Co-lead author Dr. Lona Alkhalaf, Assistant Professor, University of Warwick adds: “Remarkably, the bacterium that makes methylenomycin A and pre-methylenomycin C lactone — Streptomyces coelicolor — is a model antibiotic-producing species that’s been studied extensively since the 1950s. Finding a new antibiotic in such a familiar organism was a real surprise.”
“It looks like S. coelicolor originally evolved to produce a powerful antibiotic (pre-methylenomycin C lactone), but over time has changed it into methylenomycin A — a much weaker antibiotic that may play a different role in the bacterium’s biology.”

Importantly, the researchers could not detect any emergence of resistance to pre-methylenomycin C lactone in Enterococcus bacteria under conditions where vancomycin resistance is observed. Vancomycin is a “last line” treatment for Enterococcus infection, so this finding is especially promising for VRE, a WHO High Priority Pathogen.

Professor Challis continues: “This discovery suggests a new paradigm for antibiotic discovery. By identifying and testing intermediates in the pathways to diverse natural compounds, we may find potent new antibiotics with more resilience to resistance that will aid us in the fight against AMR.”

The next step in the development of the antibiotic will be pre-clinical testing. In a coordinated publication earlier this year in the Journal of Organic Chemistry, a team led by Monash collaborating with the Warwick team and funded by the Monash Warwick Alliance Combatting Emerging Superbug Threats initiative reported a scalable synthesis of pre-methylenomycin C lactone, paving the way for further research.

Professor David Lupton, School of Chemistry, Monash University who led the synthesis work says: “This synthetic route should enable the creation of diverse analogues that can be used to probe the structure−activity relationship and mechanism of action for pre-methylenomycin C lactone. The Centre to Impact AMR at Monash gives us a great platform to take this promising antimicrobial forward.”

With its simple structure, potent activity, difficult to resist profile, and scalable synthesis, pre-methylenomycin C lactone represents a promising new candidate that could potentially help to save some of the 1.1 million people who are the victims of AMR every year.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

To receive a copy of the journal article during the embargo period, please contact the ACS Newsroom at newsroom@acs.org

For more information please contact:

Matt Higgs, PhD | Media & Communications Officer (Press Office)

Email: Matt.Higgs@warwick.ac.uk | Phone: +44(0)7880 175403

About the University of Warwick

Founded in 1965, the University of Warwick is a world-leading institution known for its commitment to era-defining innovation across research and education. A connected ecosystem of staff, students and alumni, the University fosters transformative learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and bold industry partnerships across state-of-the-art facilities in the UK and global satellite hubs. Here, spirited thinkers push boundaries, experiment, and challenge conventions to create a better world.

About Monash University

Spanning six countries across the Indo-Pacific and Europe, Monash University maintains partnerships with more than 200 universities in over 40 nations. Monash fosters a community of more than 95,000 students and 20,000 staff, celebrating diversity and inclusion. Monash drives research and initiatives that address urgent global challenges. For further insights into Monash's International Portfolio, visit monash.edu/international

About the Monash Warwick Alliance
In 2012 Monash University and The University of Warwick embarked on a ground-breaking partnership, the Monash Warwick Alliance (MWA), a pioneering model for international collaboration woven into the very fabric of both institutions.

Founded on shared principles of academic excellence and social impact, both universities had risen to international prominence through world-class research, a commitment to providing an exceptional educational offering, and a dedication to addressing complex challenges. The Alliance emerged as a natural progression, harnessing and enhancing these combined strengths to forge a unique synergy.

The Alliance was established to promote and develop the excellent collaboration between researchers, educators, students, and professional staff, and harness our collective strengths to empower research and education activities.