• Le grand cycle lane: 218 miles from Paris to London

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Having cycled around europe I still find the british the least respectful of cyclists. I have to say that some of the cycle routes such as London to Birmingham and Dover to London are a joke . Id never be able to count the number of times Ive been pushed out of that traffic light space made especially for cyclists usually with a blast of the horn by the car driver. I do ,however, believe that cyclists should respect the law and some seem to feel they are a law unto themselves. I speak as one who cycled over 14,000 kms in one year

- Terry, Hennebont France

That's not old fashioned, it's just stupid!

- Rose, London

Road users who break the road laws should be punished. As a regular cyclist who uses the road, I am sickened and shocked by the number of cyclists who run red lights, mount pavements at high speed and generally behave on the road as though they were invincible or invisible. I do, however, feel demonised by people who decide that all cyclist are dangerous. I was knocked off my bike last Friday by a motorist who decided that because there were cars to his righ, he would squeeze past with me on his left. It was a very windy day (usual in Edinburgh) and I was a touch unsteady. He started to pass me with about 3 to 4 inches clearing then moved to the left slight and knocked me off. He kept going. I caught him at the next set of lights and he didn't seem to care. We need more respect. We don't treat taxi drivers in their taxis with less respect because they do silly things. Nor do we do this to buses. Why not. It's because cyclist are easy to bully and and motorists are cowardly bullies with no respect. Respect us on the road please. Now, I am only directing the accusation of being a bully at those who deserve it. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!

- Jamie, Edinburgh, Scotland

Call me old fashioned but cyclists always remind me of insects and this makes me want to squash them.

- G Miegl, Sunny Hampstead

Jane, I have a car, but I am not a lazy unfit petrol head. My car does about 1000miles a year, and all other miles are done by bike or walking. I get off my backside and cycle as I do not have the patience to sit in traffic for an hour to go 2-3 miles. "Loser" to me is someone, like yourself, who is probably too unfit or lazy to get of your backside to do a little excercise to avoid traffic. Your attitude is typical of many road users.

- Dom, London

Jane, Everyone I know who commutes by bike has a car or has money to buy one but does not wish to. I personally have a drivers license but do not own a car, I would probably use it perhaps once a fortnight.

It is not a question of cost, travelling through London streets on a bike is far quicker than by car most of the time and it keeps you fit at the same time. In my experience, most cycle commuters are fairly wealthy, the decision to cycle is not based on lack of finance in the slightest. I think you need to look beyond the end of your car bonnet and think about why people cycle.

Anyway, what about the nasty comments below from pedestrians and motorists? Choosing not to see those are we?

- Rider, London

Whenever I see an adult human being on a bicycle I just think what a loser he/she must be not to be able to drive or afford a car. Nasty comments of bikers on this page have reinforced this belief 1,000 fold. For heavens sake, grow up and start showing some consideration to your fellow man.

- Jane Snooks, BROMLEY

I am amazed at the arrogance and selfishness shown by some of the pro-cyclists' comments on this board. You seem to be forgetting (or perhaps ignoring) the vital point that pedestrians are not travelling at high speeds or likely to cause serious injury or death to others if they inadvertently bump into them, whilst any 2 or 4 wheeled vehicle can. Agree that anyone wandering around listening to an Ipod is asking for trouble though and am particularly amazed women put themselves at risk in this way.

- Jimmy, Fulham

Though just because someone has 'right of way' it does not mean they can deliberately cause an accident that would otherwise be avoided.

Everyone makes mistakes on londons roads, and everyone needs to obey traffic laws. Picking out a single group will just provoke negative reactions and deepen the divide between road users.

- Psycholist, London

Margaret, The Highway Code may be on your side, but is it going to protect you when, ipod in ears, you step into the middle of the road without looking and I run into you? Ever heard of stopping distances (check the Highway Code)? As a cyclist travelling at 20mph I am NOT going to able to stop dead when a ditzy pedestrian wanders into the traffic. If you do the same in front of a moped, motorbike or worse, a lorry, you're dead. Hope your precious Highway Code offers some consolation.

- Gpp, London

It's not just cyclists that pedestrians are a menace to. I'm a driver and every run if fraught with pedestrians and podestrians (the ones with ipods glued to their ears) just standing in the road waiting to cross. Then they get bored waiting so they decide to go anyway assuming that the driver will just stop. They are crazy people who never ever use a crossing even if there is one within 10 feet of them.

I'd like to know the statistics of exactly how many injuries were caused by collisions with vehicles but were their own fault. Of course a true representation would never be seen though.

- Jl, London

To London Biker - you should read your Highway Code. You will then see pedestrians always have priority and that means everywhere! Therefore yes, you are in the wrong if you hit me.

- Margaret Salafrio, St John's Wood

Hear, hear Dom. Pedestrians like to think they are the defenceless victims, however they are often the most dangerous thing on the roads (literally on the roads) when they meander into bike lanes to pass by another ped without the slightest glance, or cross a quiet road without looking because they couldn't hear a car so assume that nothing is coming. They then stare reproachfully at you when you crash into them, as though it's your (the cyclists) fault!

- London Biker, London

Sarah,
Good point, but the trouble is, many pedestrians listen to ipod/mp3 players while walking, and so you can ring that bell as much as you like coz they wont hear you. Also there are many ignorant pedestrians that just ignore you.
You need an air horn for the cases above, but that would probably scare the b'jesus out of them, not that I'd worry about that. This should help keep them menacing 2 footed day dreamers out of designated cycle lanes.

- Dom, London

Ross - why would you be shouting "Excuse me" to anyone from a bike, why wouldn't you be ringing your bell? I'll tell you why: because you're just like 99% of the cyclists in London, you don't know how to behave once you're in that saddle! I visit Amsterdam frequently and NEVER do I feel threatened by the numerous cyclists there BECAUSE THEY USE THEIR BELLS to give pedestrians advanced warning of their presence! Suggest some of you 2-wheeled menaces try doing the same.

- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx

Ross, if there were separated cycle lanes, divided from the main carriageway by a curb or something to stop motorists from entering them, I'm afraid I would never use them. I cycle about 100 miles a week and without blowing my own trumpet, I cycle a lot faster than the average commuter.

Personally I would not be happy wobbling along at 5mph behind a middle aged woman with a shopping bike and a basket or stuck in a queue of other slow cyclists in a dedicated cycle lane.

I like the ease with which, on a bike, I can weave through gridlocked and near stationary traffic, making my way to work and back much more quickly than any other mode of transport, save, perhaps, a helicopter.

Also I doubt there is really space on many central London roads for such dedicated bike lanes. I don't know what the answer is, but as far as I'm concerned, the little green strips by the side of the road are a waste of time.

As for the police, they already stop cyclists without lights. I have lights on my bike, but I have seen others stopped by the side of the road for this reason.

- Bike Commuter, London

Nora, I disagree with you as near me there are obvious, bright green cycle lanes painted on to the pavements and pedestrians take absolutely no notice of them. I don't suppose the pedestrians do this deliberately; they just seem to be oblivious to them. Thus, I stick to the road, else I would be forever shouting "excuse me!".

We need cycle lanes on the road which are discrete / separate from the main carriageway traffic. It should be impossible for vehicles to enter them. It is ridiculous that for most of the day, and often after 18:30, vehicles can legally park at the roadside, and by doing so, they cover a bicycle lane. Also, lanes should be half the width of a normal lane and not just 50 centimetres! The lanes should be clear at all times. To gauge if a cycle lane is suitable, one should ask oneself, "would I be comfortable to allow my child to cycle along this lane?". There are few existing lanes where the answer to this would be "yes".

Finally, police should start issuing official warnings to cyclists who ride at night without lights. Is it any surprise drivers collide with cyclists who ride in the dark without any lights on?!

- Ross, London, UK

Skully, sounds good, but this is the uk, were we cannot even control our drinking, so I do not think this would work because of most peoples attitude on the road. I cycle, and I'd never ever expect or trust that cars/lorries,buses...etc would give way, even if it was legal. Most think that cyclists should not even be on the road and unfortuantley, that is the attitude you'd need to address. Too many "stress heads" behind the wheel too.

- Dom, London

The removal of road signs and right of way for the smaller vehicles is a magical idea, force all road users to stop think and asses the situation that sits before them.

It could calm traffic and relax drivers, which is a better route to road safety than any road markings!

I say stick a blonde wig on that there Skully and put the man in charge!

- Mr Pip, London

Cyclists pay exactly the same amount of road tax as motorists and I can prove this beyond a shadow of a doubt. If you take a look at the DVLA website, you will see that the cost of road tax (or VED as is should be more accurately known) is now determined by the amount of CO2 emmissions per kilometer. The lowest banding, less than 100g CO2/km, doesn't have to pay any VED at all.

Perhaps motorists might like to check the facts before spouting such ignorant nonsense.

- The Seldom Killer, Swindon, UK

Roads are paid for by council and national taxes. Not the VED. So cyclists DO pay for roads. The 'tax disc' actually only pays for the registration of cars (DVLA), effectively.

Dutch cycle provision is excellent. However in the inner cities, as with London, and in rural by-roads, cycles share the road with other vehicles. What's different in Holland (and I believe, Denmark) is that they operate a 'sail beofre steam' policy, where the smaller the vehicle you are in has right of way over the larger type... so pedestrians have top priority, follwed by 'HPVs' (human powered vehicles: bikes, trikes, recumbents, hand-cycles), followed by modeds, etc etc all the way up to HGVs.

The way to make this work is to REMOVE ALL TRAFFIC SIGNALS, lanes and marking, using a give way system only. It actually works. It makes people THINK about how to negotiate the traffic around them instead of, say, roaring fast toward a green light that's about to change to orange etc etc. It would make people take responsibility for the way they move about our roads.

It's not as bonkers as it sounds. It has been tried very successfully in Denmark recently, redusing road deaths to NIL from something like 50 per year in this particular town, there was a piece on Newsnight about it last spring.

- Skully, East London

It amuses me greatly to hear people say that cyclists are "the biggest danger" to pedestrians. Motor traffic kills and maims thousands of pedestrians across the UK each year. Cyclists kill and maim.... errr... 2 or 3 people per year perhaps?

- Bike Commuter, London

To comments that cyclists should pay vechicle tax (note vehicle tax for peeps who are a bit slow). Don't cause damage to the environment. Don't cause wear and tear on the roads and guess what there is one less car on your road and one less person on your train! Ah yes and we don't kill people.
P I Staker - you must leave a very lonely sad existence.

- Jo, London

boardman has a cheek: why should more protection be offered to cyclists? they are the biggest danger. its pedestrians that need to feel safer. on most days walking around london, im nearly hit by a cyclist who is breaking the law -- either becuase they are riding recklessly on pavements, riding across crossings when its a pedestrians right of way, jumping red lights. they are a menace and a danger. im happy to shout back at cyclists, or take their picture, they dont like that -- but elderly people, or people with young children can feel threatenes by these meances. its time these people were treated like the criminals they are.

- Josh, london

To Jl of London - I for one DO realise how vulnerable cyclists are, that's why I don't get why they don't do the sensible thing and walk or drive a car!

- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx

Roads are not safe for cyclists. Cars and bikes dont mix. Fact.

- Gordie, Manchester, UK

I got knocked off my bike last month by a car turning right from Horse Guards Road into the Mall. Straight over his bonnet at about 20mph. I could easily have been killed and 'escaped' with a dislocated shoulder and a written-off bike. It was entirely the fault of the driver who 'didn't see me'.

I scrupulously follow the Highway Code when cycling. So all those people out there moaning about cyclists, just consider how vulnerable we are. This is the third time in 3 years that I have been injured through no fault of my own. The previous incidents were the fault of pedestrians who stepped into the road without looking.

- Jl, London

Cyclists should pay road tax/VED? Most cyclists already do pay VED as they are also drivers and car owners. All those here who bleat that motorists have the right to break the law as they have paid for the right, how much damage do you think a bike and rider, possibly weighing up to 200 lbs compared with a 2 ton car do to road surfaces? If you banned motorists from all roads, the weather would probably do more damage to road surfaces than cyclists!

How do you think fair weather, family cyclists who bring bikes out of the garage once or twice a year would feel about paying VED for something they barely use? It would simply put them off and add to the UK obesity problem.

Finally, Are millions of pounds of taxpayers money really better spent on setting up a cyclist VED system to satisfy a few miserable London commuters who got off the Tube on the wrong side than on education or health?

I really don't think so....

- Mcw, London

We emigrated from the UK after just too many close calls while cycling. The whole design of roads here is far far better for all road users. Overall, the Netherlands has the safest roads in Europe, and cyclists here are the safest in the world.


- David Hembrow, Assen, Netherlands

Pedestrians walk in to the road without looking listening to mp3 players, cyclist/motorists jump red lights, motorists speed and also drive using their mobiles. It is a dog eat dog world out there, and no pedestrians/cyclists/motorists are total law abiders. All moan about the other, when all are at fault.

- Dom, London

in response to the accusation of cyclists running through red lights, how often to you see car drivers ignore the cycle 'head start' box at the red light which was idealistically designed to give cyclists a chance to get started before cars, and hence to not get run over. Cyclists have the highest death rates, yet inflict the lowest levels of injury to others.

- Frank, swindon

Excellent comment from P.I. Staker and a pity that Chris Boardman or one of his fellow cyclers could not encourage the scum to STAY OFF THE PAVEMENTS!

- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx

A survey by the RAC found that, yes, a lot of cyclists run red lights. It also found that one in ten drivers in Manchester and London crossed traffic lights more than three seconds after the lights turned red, and one in five bus drivers ran red lights. There are ten thousand traffic light camera prosecutions annually in London alone, a small part of the 1.5 million prosecutions annually based on camera evidence (I don't know what proportion are speed versus red lights), in turn the tip of the iceberg of twelve million prosecutions and cautions for motoring offences by UK police forces in 2002.

Lawbreaking, then, is not restricted to bikes. Motorists break the law in vast numbers. Speeding, in particular , is rife and killed 1200 people last year. How many people were killed by cyclists?

- Stephen Gaines, Hammersmith

I wonder how many people who dislike cyclists for 'running red lights' have never, ever, broken a speed limit (and thus the law) in their cars.

- George, London

oh dear Reg !
once again you get your facts wrong,im not a lorry driver even though i have a HGV licience, I work in an office for Nissan uk but that doesnt make me Japanese ! i hope they do build a road down to the coast for all the bores who insist on championing cycling ,lets hope it ends at the cliffs of Dover and you all forget to pull the levers that operate the pathetic brakes cycles have. reg please tell me how your precious cycle was delivered to the shop or place of purchase please , could it of been by one of those terrible lorry's you so hate ? i think you must of had a bad experience hitch-hiking once to hate them so much !

- Peter Ex Londoner, Hartlepool

1 million cyclists in the UK over 75% of whom ignore the rules on the road. Yes there are uninsured drivers, yes there are bad drivers Dr Susan Porter, but not a day goes by when i drive around the Capitals streets that i dont see bikes with no lights on, cyclists on the pavements cyclists riding through red lights, going the wrong way down one way streets, scratching cars and holding up the traffic,bumping into pedestrians Motorists pay exhorbitant taxes to use these roads what does a cyclist contribute.

- Mr.S.Port, London

Stats don't lie - just the people who manipulate them.

Cyclists are not the only people with a say in what goes on re the roads. Drivers are allowed to have an opinion too. As for cyclists being the safest road users?

...The most polite response I can come up with is 'I beg to differ'.

- Rogan, Irving

the blatant disregard for cyclists over decades is a stain on the reputation of town planners in London. I love cycling , but to not wish to commit suicide by attempting to do so in London.

- Frank ,Swindon, swindon

Cyclists are scum of the earth as far as I'm concerned, dirt under my shoe gets more respect.

When they start showing respect for pedestrians, I will change my attitude towards them.

- P I Staker, London

"lets improve the roads for cyclist's , but only if it is paid for by themselves through some form of regulatory tax or test they must comply with like every other road user"

Says Peter, a lorry driver. Lorry drivers as a class contain more illegal, uninsured drivers than any other on the road. Lorries drivers are by far the biggest killers on the roads, as determined at criminal courts. And lorries do most of the damage to the roads, only a fraction of the cost of which is covered by road tax. So we're paying to keep these unreconstructed climate change deniers in their jobs.

As a cyclist, I'm fed up with subsidising these lorry loafers through general taxation, and want them to start paying their way now. At least for the repairs, if not the intense pollution. This is a credit crunch and we need to crack down on this sort of thing even before welfare fraud, which is less of an abuse of public money.

As Dr Porter points out there are 1.2 million uninsured drivers on the roads compared to 1 million cyclists, most of whom are law-abiding and practically all of whom do no actual harm whatsoever - the stats don't lie.

Meanwhile, goods vehicles, don't come a begging to me for more motorist subsidies. You can only have what is stolen from me through general taxation.

- Reg, London

Oh dear yet more ranting from Dr Susan Porter, Bow. She seems to pop up with her anti car, anti pedestrian, cylists are angels every time there is any debate about cycling in London. Cyclists are a growing menace everywhere. They cycle at breakneck speeds along designated footpaths in the countryside, similarly they scatter pedestrians walking along urban footpaths. They disobey almost every rule of the highway code then when they get injured, or worse still killed, everyone else is to blame. They should be licensed and required to take out personal injury, and third party insurance before being allowed onto the highway.

- Pat, Croydon Uk

lets improve the roads for cyclist's , but only if it is paid for by themselves through some form of regulatory tax or test they must comply with like every other road user,even horse's have to have a passport and insurance so why are cyclist's excempt ?

- Peter Ex Londoner, Hartlepool

As a regular commuter to London I am appalled that cyclists do not hae to pass any type of test to use the centre of london or that they have no insurance. They shuold have to pass a test showing that they are able to use the roads properly. When they have an accident it never seems to be their fault.
The best thing I see regularly is the police take the situation seriously and they are always pull up and ticket the offending cyclists.

- Pcw, London

While Nora's solution sounds very obvious in fact its exactly the wrong thing to do as has been demonstrated consistently by research into cyclist safety. Counter-intuitively cyclists are safest mixed in with other traffic on the roads. They are much less safe segregated away from other traffic in cycle lanes or on the pavement. The reason is simple. The vast majority of accidents occur at junctions and not on the bits in between. Cyclists on the pavement are easily missed by drivers who are looking for other traffic on the road with the result that accident rates at junctions can be six to twelve times higher if you are on a cycle path or lane. So Boardman is spot on. We need to get cyclists accepted as a valid road user.

To be honest though, and again contrary to common perception, cycling is just as safe as walking and if we were to cut out the disproportionately large number of deaths caused by trucks in London, it would be very much safer than walking. For some reason the media and safety lobby seem to have a fixation that cycling is dangerous when in reality its not when compared to many other activities we all do every day without thinking twice.

- Tony, Cambridge, UK

Oh dear, the tone is redolent of disapproval, which breaks out occasionally: " . . . after hundreds of cyclists were found to be flouting the rules."

Total number of cycle commuters in the UK= 1 million. This includes those cyclists who, like me, obey all traffic laws.

Total number of uninsured cars in the UK? 1.2 million.

Fairweather is right, cyclists have the lowest "at fault" rating of all road users- understandable since they don't have the protection of a steel cage to ensure their safety. The cycling revolution in London is gaining pace, but the roads are still almost lawless, every single day I see drivers on the phone, parked in cycle lanes, encroaching ASLs etc etc.

A level playing field would be nice, let's all help make London a civilised, safe cycling city.

- Dr Susan Porter, Bow

As a part-time cyclist I don't think taking up more road space will help. Cyclists are only very slightly different to pedestrians in their vulnerability. Although I don't like cyclists on the pavement, I think a cycle lane on the pavement is the most obvious solution.

- Nora, London, UK

The problem with Londons transport network is that we have politicians running it. Thousands upon thousands of everyday commuters will tell you what is wrong with it but the people making the important decisions either do not listen or are immune to the problem.
The roads are pathetic, the cycle lanes are useless, the trains are too expensive, the buses are infrequent, the pavements are dangerous and the tube is quite frankly all of the above.

- Mr.S.Port, London

There is no cyclist infrastructure in London at all except the bus lanes, and those are restricted to certain hours. With motorcyclists already warning cyclists that they "had better keep to the left", these bus lanes now appear to be largely irrelevant as sanctuaries from motorist aggression.

Hopefully Mayor Johnson will listen and we can have 20 mph zones on red routes, cameras everywhere on the roads and zero tolerance for cyclist box occupation, amongst the ideas taken up.

- Reg, London

There is more of a need for 'Safer Driving' campaigns than for 'Safer Cycling' ones.
The majority of experienced cyclists are far more likely to be injured through the fault of a motorist than themselves...

- Fairweather, Wirral

I was back in London over the recent holidays and have to say I was constantly astounded at the waste of money on the 'bike' lanes in London - painting a metre wide strip of road green does not make a blind bit of difference cars still drive in the lane and they are completely unsafe. I look at where I live (Amsterdam) and the way to drive safety has been to seperate the bike lane from the road - stopping cars and trucks from driving in them. Until London is serious about creating safe cycling zones then you will never realise the potential of two wheels. The whole bike parking issue also needs resolution, there just is not enough bike parking.

- Julian, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

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