Drivers vs cyclists: study reveals North West commuter anger

A new survey has shown the relationship between drivers and cyclists in the North West to be amongst the worst in the UK after commuters were asked to rate how well they got on with each other on the roads.
Curb your road rage: the relationship between cyclists and drivers is on rocky terrain.Curb your road rage: the relationship between cyclists and drivers is on rocky terrain.
Curb your road rage: the relationship between cyclists and drivers is on rocky terrain.

The data, compiled by car leasing company Cars on Demand, spoke to 2,000 drivers and cyclists across the country to gauge the pulse of the UK's road-users, and found that in the North West, travellers on two and four wheels alike rated their relationship on average as a 5.3 out of 10.

Given their physical vulnerability, cyclists universally rated their relationship with drivers as being worse than vice versa; on average, British drivers ranked their relationship with cyclists as a fairly healthy 6.1/10 while cyclists emphatically failed to reciprocate, rating the relationship as a lowly 4.8.

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"Driver-cyclist relations aren’t at their best, which is a great shame," said Paul Brown, Managing Director at Cars on Demand. "However, drivers are trying to be empathetic about the issues surrounding cycling and the rules of the road, so hopefully if both cyclists and drivers pay more attention to each other, things can progress more smoothly on the UK’s streets."

With the busiest traffic in the country and worryingly frequent fatalities and injuries to cyclists, road-users in Greater London unsurprisingly rated their relationship as being the worst with an average of 4.5 out of 10 despite 74% of drivers and 65% of cyclists saying that they empathise with the frustration their counterparts must feel whilst using the roads.

Nevertheless, with 39% of drivers admitting to having indulged in a spot of road rage when it comes to navigating members of the lycra-wearing community on our streets and half of more than 50% insisting that it should be illegal for cyclists to use the roads without insurance, it appeals the rifts are far from healing.

For more information and to use the interaction map, head to: https://carsondemand.co.uk/infographics/drivers-and-cyclists-relationships-uk