Road deaths fell to an all-time low last year but pedal cyclist fatalities rose 10%, according to official figures.

The number of child deaths also increased fractionally, rising from 60 in 2011 to 61 in 2012.

Safety and motoring groups said the increase in cyclist deaths had marred the overall good news about fatality reductions, particularly as the wet weather last year had meant a likely dip in the number of cyclists on the road.

Department for Transport (DfT) figures showed that pedal cyclist deaths rose from 107 in 2011 to 118 in 2012, with serious injuries rising 4% to 3,222.

Overall, there were 1,754 deaths on British roads in accidents reported to the police in 2012 - a 8% dip on the 2011 figure and the lowest figure since national records began in 1926.

The AA said the figures were "no cause for celebration" and that the rise in cycling fatalities was one of the AA's "deep concerns".

Kevin Clinton, head of road safety at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said: "The good news of a large drop in road deaths in 2012 is marred by an increase in cyclist deaths, which occurred despite the poor weather in the main cycling seasons of spring and summer."

British Cycling said the cycling statistics were "very disturbing" and that it was important that road conditions "rapidly improved".

National cycling charity CTC pointed out that the risks of cycling remained much higher in Britain than in other European countries such as the Netherlands or Denmark, where cycle use was 10 times higher than in Britain.

The DfT figures showed that, overall, the number of people seriously injured fell 0.4% to 23,039 in 2012, while the number of children killed or seriously injured fell 6% to 2,272.

The overall number of casualties (deaths, serious injuries and slight injuries) in road accidents last year was 195,723 - down 4% on the 2011 figure.

The number of accidents in which there were injuries reached 145,571, which was 4% fewer than in 2011. This total is the fewest reported in a single year since 1926 and 1927 - the first two years national records were kept.

The number of car occupant deaths in 2012 fell 9% to 801, while the number of seriously injured car occupants was down 1%. Total reported casualties among car users were 119,708 - 4% fewer than in 2011. Car and taxi traffic slightly decreased by 0.2% between 2011 and 2012.

There were 420 pedestrian deaths in 2012 - 7% fewer than in 2011 - but the number of seriously injured pedestrians increased 2% to 5,559. There was a total of 25,218 reported pedestrian casualties in 2012 - a fall of 4%.

Although child deaths (aged 15 and under) were up, the number of children seriously injured last year fell 6% to 2,211, while total child casualties were down 11% to their lowest total since detailed records started in 1979.

Motorcyclist deaths were down 9% to 328 last year, with serious injuries falling 5% to 5,000 and total casualties in this sector falling 4% to 19,310.

The greatest number of accidents last year were on built-up roads (those with speed limits of, or under, 30mph).