Do cyclists feel safe on Britain’s roads?

Transcript

00:00 Well, overall, the health benefits of cycling definitely outweigh the risks a lot. And statistically,

00:07 cycling is a very safe way to get around. But the problem is, it doesn't always feel

00:11 like that. And it can be kind of small incidents that just make you feel a bit nervous and

00:16 can put people off, which is a real shame. So I think it's about sort of creating this

00:22 more considerate culture on the roads and people just being a little bit more patient,

00:26 kind of holding back and leaving lots of space when they overtake. And sort of imagining

00:30 that that's your daughter or your grandmother on the road and how would you treat them?

00:35 Some have claimed Britain's worst cycling lane to be an infamous pathway on Keensham

00:39 High Street in Bristol. It was reported that more than 100 people were injured after tripping

00:45 over the curb, with some cyclists and pedestrians calling the path an optical illusion. Back

00:51 in April, Bristol Council undertook work to try and make the lane clearer, but people

00:56 from the area have since said the path still remains a hazard.

01:01 I think we found that safety while you're cycling is especially an issue for women when

01:05 they're on their own. I think it was almost 80% of people are sort of nervous about being

01:10 in a collision with a car. And then 62% of women are worried about road rage and people

01:15 being aggressive around them. So it is definitely a concern. And that's something that we all

01:20 have the power to change when we're out, whether we're cycling, whether we're driving, just

01:24 having that patience and consideration and making sure you're leaving one and a half

01:28 metres of space when you go around people. I'm so I think even now a lot of people aren't

01:33 aware that things have changed, or they're not quite clear what the changes are. So Cycling

01:37 UK has been kind of trying to push the government to do a little bit more work on that, just

01:41 to make sure that everybody understands. A lot of this does come down to a lack of understanding.

01:46 I've had incidents sometimes where people will sort of shout at me or be a bit aggressive

01:51 for moving over towards the middle of the lane, if there isn't space for them to overtake,

01:56 which you're taught to do as a kid when you do your cycle training.