Figures from the Bendigo police service area show that while there has been a slight drop in crashes involving cyclists from 2015 to this year, the number of cyclists suffering injuries serious enough to warrant hospitalisation has more than doubled, from three at this time last year to seven in 2016.

Acting Sergeant Paul Stubbs said 13 drivers were involved in the collisions and two incidents involved more than one cyclist.

He said motorists not giving way, failing to see cyclists in blind spots and not keeping a safe distance were among the main factors involved in the crashes.

“People need to be aware there are going to be cyclists on the road, especially in the Christmas and school holiday period, and people need to be patient and treat them with the respect they require as road users,” Acting Sergeant Stubbs said.

He advised drivers to ensure they left at least a one-metre gap when passing cyclists.

But ensuring cyclists are safe is a two-way street.

Acting Sergeant Stubbs said cyclists needed to be alert to vehicles around them and be mindful of the conditions.

He also advised cyclists to plan their route to be as safe as possible, and said they should ensure they were visible and protected by wearing helmets and fitting their bikes with lights.

This year two collisions have involved cyclists not wearing helmets, with both riders over the age of 55.

Not wearing a helmet can not only be dangerous, it can inflict a serious hit to the wallet – failing to wear a properly secured, approved helmet can incur a $194 fine.

TAC claims data shows nine cyclists had to be hospitalised following crashes in central Victoria within the first five months of this year, two of them for longer than two weeks.

One cyclist died during this period.

In the same period in 2015, just one cyclist was hospitalised following a road collision.