Drivers say aggressive cyclists are threat to their safety

New laws meant to fix daily conflicts among road users called ineffective

THE majority of drivers believe aggressive cyclists are a threat to their safety, a new survey has shown, with many believing the problem is getting worse.

In the survey of 2,010 motorists, 65 per cent of respondents said aggressive cyclists are a threat to their safety, while 60 per cent said the problem is worse than it was three years ago.

This is despite the number of cyclists killed in accidents with a car vastly outnumbering the number of motorists that are killed each year in the same situation.

In addition, 61 per cent said they would not support a law assuming drivers are always responsible for collisions with cyclists or pedestrians in urban areas.

“The Government has introduced a range of laws in recent years in an effort to fix the daily conflicts we see between motorists and cyclists,” said Neil Greig, director of policy and research at IAM Roadsmart, which carried out the poll.

“However, if our research is anything to go by, this has largely been to no avail, with the majority of respondents still reporting aggression and conflict among road users.

“In the meantime, all road users, on two or four wheels, should exercise calmness and restraint to help us all use Britain’s roads safely.”

According to the Department for Transport, four car occupants were killed in crashes involving a bicycle and a car on Britain’s roads between 2012 and 2021. That is compared with 494 fatalities of cyclists in such incidents over the same period.

The data precedes a sharp rise in people taking up cycling, with Cycle UK saying bike use in England rose by 47 per cent on weekdays and 27 per cent on weekends in the five months to the end of July last year.

As fuel prices reached record highs in July, cycling levels were even higher than those seen at the same period in 2020, when quieter roads during the pandemic encouraged many more people out on their bikes.

In June last year, new rules came into force allowing judges in Britain to hand down life sentences to dangerous drivers who kill and careless drivers who kill while under the influence of drink or drugs.

In August, Grant Shapps , then transport secretary, proposed to replace the “archaic” laws that limit the maximum sentence to two years, with a new offence of causing death by dangerous cycling. He said grieving relatives of victims of killer cyclists had “waited too long for this measure” to tackle a “selfish minority” of aggressive riders.

Duncan Dollimore, head of campaigns at the charity Cycling UK, said: “There’s no excuse for aggressive behaviour – people can behave badly no matter what mode of transport they’re using.

“The consequences are, however, disproportionate, with statistics showing poor driving far more likely to lead to a fatality or serious injury.

“The Highway Code changed last year to emphasise the additional responsibility of those in charge of larger vehicles, because they were more likely to cause harm if there is a collision.

“Cycling UK has repeatedly called for a long-term well-funded public awareness campaign by the Government to ensure that the changes are better communicated and understood, which in turn will make our roads safer for everyone.”