Dangers of Cycling on the UK's Roads

Cycling is an activity that has grown in popularity over recent years in the UK for a number of reasons. After witnessing the success of British professional cyclists some people have been inspired to take up the sport, wanting to improve their fitness and to compete against others. Transport policy and a concern for environmental sustainability have also encouraged more people to leave their cars at home and get on their bikes instead, as has the increasing cost of running a car. Yet, cycling on UK roads can be a dangerous experience, with far too many cyclists coming off badly in accidents that could potentially have been avoided.

The trouble is that some car drivers cannot get their heads around the fact that they do not own the roads. There are those who claim they pay road tax, despite the fact such a tax no longer exists, and that for some reason this gives them the right to do what they want. They may well pay Vehicle Excise Duty, but the cost of maintaining the roads actually comes out of general taxation, a tax which the majority of cyclists also pay. Plus, bikes cause far less damage to the roads than larger vehicles, such as cars. There will always be car drivers who cannot be reasoned with, though.

These are the kind of drivers who are prepared to overtake dangerously close to a cyclist, pull out in front of a cyclist when they should give way and beep their horn in anguish at being held up for a few seconds behind a relatively slow-moving bike. They are so impatient that they don't seem to care about their safety or the safety of other road users, as their overriding priority is to reach their destination as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, it only takes one inconsiderate move by a car driver for a cyclist's life to come to a premature end.

This is not only the case in the UK, as anywhere that cyclists and cars have to mix, cyclists are always going to be more exposed and vulnerable to danger. However, in other countries there does seem to be a greater tolerance towards cyclists. In the UK, there have been instances where, as a result of careless driving, a cyclist has been killed, yet instead of being punished by the courts, the driver is let off with barely even a slap on the wrists. This is hardly likely to send out the right message to other road users who rightly believe they can get away with murder.

It is not always the car driver's fault, as there are cyclists who flout the law and take their life into their own hands, but most do not want to inconvenience other road users, especially when they know how car drivers can respond. Cyclists have so few options, though, since cycle lane provision is inadequate and the state of the roads is often atrocious, so that cars and bikes alike have to dodge pot holes and other bumps in the road. What there needs to be, therefore, is a greater amount of respect between the two parties, rather than the current antagonism which seems to exist.