On your bike, Jeremy!
Fury as he tells cyclists to flout Highway Code
JEREMY Vine has sparked fury after sharing footage of cyclists riding four abreast and saying it was ‘exactly’ how they should use the road.
The presenter, himself a keen rider, filmed the group while he was a passenger in a car behind them.
His clip shows the vehicle having to slow down as the riders take up almost all of the lane on a single-carriageway road.
The Highway Code states cyclists should ‘never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends’. But despite this Vine congratulated the four riders, part of a larger group, for flouting the guidance.
During the video, the star provides a commentary, saying: ‘Sunday morning in the country, absolutely no problem with this at all, this is exactly how cyclists should ride, they’re calming the traffic behind them, we won’t overtake unless we have a really wide amount of clearance.
‘If we want to go 70mph we can go and find a motorway, this is absolutely fine, there’s no need for us to be going any faster than this and we wish them well.’ Alongside the footage, posted on Twitter, he wrote: ‘People who cycle in the country should be encouraged to ride two, three and four abreast like this. For the following reasons:
1. It calms the traffic behind them
2. It makes it less easy for bad drivers to attempt dangerous passes 3. It is more pleasant and sociable for them.’
But the post sparked an angry backlash – even among fellow cyclists. Former England rugby captain Will Carling wrote: ‘I am a cyclist. Simple rule – we are smaller than cars – so be polite, ride single file when holding up cars.’
One Twitter user said it was ‘irresponsible’ of Vine, a Channel 5 and BBC Radio 2 presenter, to encourage cyclists to break the Highway Code.
Another said: ‘Blocking the road will make people take bigger risks and lead to worse accidents.’
One user replied: ‘Jeremy Vine – I’ve been a cyclist for 50 years. This is idiotic and you’re an idiot... Car drivers are constantly making allowances for dangerous cyclists.’ Roger Geffen, of charity Cycling UK, insisted it was a ‘misconception’ that ‘bunching up is inconsiderate behaviour’, claiming it ‘makes the group far safer and easier to overtake than a longer, thinned out group’.
He added: ‘It is not much more different to when overtaking a car on a single carriageway or a HGV – the less time spent passing the vehicle, or group of cyclists, the safer, easier and faster it is for everyone.’