Two-thirds (69%) of drivers want new legislation for cyclists, including bikes to be given a registration number to help with identification, suggests a survey from InsuretheGap.com.
More than half (53%) of respondents said that cyclists should also be required to hold a licence and 44% think they should pay vehicle excise duty (VED) like cars – despite zero emission cars being exempt from the charge.
Furthermore, more than half (59%) believe all push and electric bikes should have an annual safety test, like an MOT.
Ben Wooltorton, chief operating officer of InsuretheGap.com, said: “The explosion in bike usage in recent years is good news for the environment and should also help to ease congestion in urban areas if managed correctly.
“However, our survey picked up a definite feeling among motorists that they are often held to higher standards than their fellow road users when it comes to adherence to the Highway Code.”
More than three-quarters (78%) said cyclists don’t think the rules of the road apply to them, feeling free to go through red lights and not stop at zebra crossings.
Many also believe that there are many roads that are not suitable for cyclists. Three-fifths (60%) said there are too many cyclists on fast roads that are unsuitable for them, and nearly half (45%) said they should not be allowed on A roads altogether as they are a danger.
Two-fifths (42%) also say that cyclists should be banned from roads which are too narrow to allow enough space for both a car and a bike, and almost nine in 10 (85%) think that helmets should be a legal requirement for cycling on the roads.
Wooltorton concluded: “Roads, particularly in towns, are increasingly being used as shared spaces and it’s important that legislation, infrastructure planning and funding take into account the views, requirements and safety of all road users, otherwise this tension between different groups is almost inevitable.”
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Gareth has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist having started his career in local newspapers in the 1990s. Prior to joining Fleet News in 2008, he worked in the public sector as a media advisor and is currently news editor at Fleet News.
Bradley Biggins - 07/06/2019 11:11
I'm not an avid cyclist, but as a holder of a driving licence (and a Cycling Proficiency certificate), I would like to see driving licence holding riders that flout the rules of the road while cycling have their licences endorsed as if they are in a powered vehicle simply because they have been deemed competent to use the road. I also think riders that cause a collision should bear the burden of any claim rather than fault being heaped on a driver by default, so if that means they take out some kind of liability insurance "just in case", that's OK. Finally, while motor vehicles have to meet C&U regs all the time, bicycles seem to be able to be stripped of some significant safety equipment for some reason and still be used on the highway. Must be to gain that extra 0.5mph in the dark.