Four out of five cyclists in Bristol have experienced issues with aggressive driving. More than 1,000 people responded to the Bristol Cycling Campaign’s annual survey showing how prevalent common problems are for cyclists in the city.

Campaigners said 81 per cent of respondents said they have experienced issues ranging from inattentive drivers passing too close, to 'extreme verbal and physical aggression'. Meanwhile, 45 per cent said they were very concerned about road safety and collisions.

One respondent said: “I had a driver jump red lights trying to hit me with his car. I tried to get away from him by cycling on the pavement, which I would not normally do. He drove several metres down the pavement after me and only stopped because there was a bus stop.”

Another added: “I often have cars pass me way too close. I have had cars cut me off and come out of a T-junction, even while making eye contact. I have been shouted at to get off the street.”

The survey ran between February and March this year and was filled out by 1,136 respondents. Eighty-one per cent also said that having protected cycle routes on main routes would encourage them to cycle more often.

Campaigners said aggressive behaviour was putting many people off cycling, highlighting the need for protected and segregated routes. They said that increasing the number of people travelling by bicycle would reduce congestion, carbon emissions and air pollution.

Ian Pond, chair at Bristol Cycling Campaign, said: “We were dismayed, but sadly not shocked, that 81 per cent of people responding to our survey — over 1,100 — told us that they had experienced aggressive driver behaviour while cycling. The level of aggression will inevitably make people think twice about making more journeys by bike, but also make them reluctant to recommend cycling to their friends or even to allow their children to cycle more.

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/four-five-bristol-cyclists-experience-8659495

On 08/08/2023 02:05 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

> Four out of five cyclists in Bristol have experienced issues with aggressive driving. More than 1,000 people responded to the Bristol Cycling Campaign’s annual survey showing how prevalent common problems are for cyclists in the city.
>
> Campaigners said 81 per cent of respondents said they have experienced issues ranging from inattentive drivers passing too close, to 'extreme verbal and physical aggression'. Meanwhile, 45 per cent said they were very concerned about road safety and collisions.
>
> One respondent said: “I had a driver jump red lights trying to hit me with his car.

He'd gone through the red light first, yes (not that that makes it
alright for anyone else to do the same, but that odd character is trying
to pretend that he wasn't at fault).

> I tried to get away from him by cycling on the pavement, which I would not normally do.

Oh, pull the other one, do.

> He drove several metres down the pavement after me and only stopped because there was a bus stop.”
>
> Another added: “I often have cars pass me way too close. I have had cars cut me off and come out of a T-junction, even while making eye contact. I have been shouted at to get off the street.”

So what's he been doing to make all those people so angry with him?
>
> The survey ran between February and March this year and was filled out by 1,136 respondents. Eighty-one per cent also said that having protected cycle routes on main routes would encourage them to cycle more often.
>
> Campaigners said aggressive behaviour was putting many people off cycling, highlighting the need for protected and segregated routes. They said that increasing the number of people travelling by bicycle would reduce congestion, carbon emissions and air pollution.
>
> Ian Pond, chair at Bristol Cycling Campaign, said: “We were dismayed, but sadly not shocked, that 81 per cent of people responding to our survey — over 1,100 — told us that they had experienced aggressive driver behaviour while cycling. The level of aggression will inevitably make people think twice about making more journeys by bike, but also make them reluctant to recommend cycling to their friends or even to allow their children to cycle more.
>
> https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/four-five-bristol-cyclists-experience-8659495

Stationary motor vehicle drivers in particular take exception to cyclists making their way to the head of queuing traffic by weaving between their vehicles. They somehow forget or don`t know that cyclists have their saddles as high as possible to be able to see and be seen ahead of stationary motor vehicles in a queue of traffic.

So they can safely navigate their way through those vehicles in order to maintain balance and momentum instead of remaining stationary on their tippy-toes on the brow of the roads camber, sucking in their exhaust fumes and having to push off in an unbalanced way when the queue of motor vehicles eventually move forward.

When I experience certain motor vehicle drivers verbal road rage I reply: Ride a pushbike and you can do the same.