Almost two-thirds of drivers have said they believe aggressive cyclists are a threat to their safety.
Around 2,000 motorists in the UK were polled by road safety charity IAM RoadSmart for a survey, which also revealed that 60% of drivers believe aggressive cyclists are now a bigger problem, compared with three years ago.
A similar percentage of people 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,” IAM RoadSmart director of policy and research Neil Greig said.
“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.”
Mr Greig added that there was “no quick-fix” to this issue, but that the research revealed an urgent need for the government to continue to educate people on the new Highway Code.
The charity director also advised the government to invest in safe road markings for those who are “vulnerable road users,” in order to minimise the chance of “conflict”.
“In the meantime, all road users, whether on two or four wheels, should exercise calmness and restraint to help us all use Britain’s roads safely.”
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Some 108 people were killed in 2021 in crashes where aggressive driving was a contributory factor.
Cyclists can also cause ‘real harm’ when there’s ‘lack of care’
A “death by dangerous cycling” law was proposed in 2022, by then transport secretary Grant Shapps.
Under this plan, cyclists who kill other road users would be treated the same as motorists.
Mr Shapps said the law is needed “to impress on cyclists the real harm they can cause when speed is combined with lack of care,” he said in the Mail last year.
“We need to crack down on this disregard for road safety. Relatives of victims have waited too long for this straightforward measure,” he added.
Nearly four out of five (78%) respondents to the IAM RoadSmart survey said people driving motor vehicles aggressively are putting their safety at risk.
