Aggression from both motorists and cyclists is potentially putting lives on Britain’s roads at risk, says IAM RoadSmart on the back of the results of a new survey.
The charity’s annual Driving Safety Culture Report surveyed more than 2,000 motorists on driving safety attitudes and behaviour.
Almost two thirds (65%) of respondents believe that aggressive cyclists are a threat to their personal safety, a figure which increased to 78% when asked the same question about those driving a motor vehicle aggressively.
IAM RoadSmart says the survey also shows that the problem is ‘seen to be worsening on both sides of the rivalry’, with 60% of those surveyed believing that aggressive cyclists are a bigger problem compared to three years ago.
The figure was 63% for aggressive motorists, over the same time period.
DfT data shows that of the 1,339 people killed on Britain’s roads in 2021, 108 involved aggressive driving as a contributory factor. This equates to one in 12 deaths.
Neil Greig, director of policy and research at IAM RoadSmart, said: “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.
“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.
“There is no quick-fix to this issue, but our research sheds light on the urgent need for the Government to maintain its education campaigns on the new Highway Code, and continue to invest in safe road markings for more vulnerable road users to minimise the chance of conflict wherever possible.
“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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