'British roads too dangerous for cyclists' finds BBC survey

BBC publishes results of cycling poll, gauging opinion on range of cycling issues in the UK

Traffic, National 25-mile time trial 2012

Half of the people who responded to a BBC poll on cycling in Britain said that they thought that the nation's roads were too dangerous for cyclists.

According to the poll results published by the BBC on Tuesday, 52 per cent agree with the statement that it is "too dangerous to cycle on the roads in my local area".

Only 34 per cent thought that their local roads were well designed for cyclists, and over half of people thought that employers didn't do enough to encourage cycling to work.

"It's clear... people don't feel safe when riding their bikes on our roads," Chris Boardman, British Cycling policy advisor, told the BBC. "In order to rectify this we need a clear commitment from government and local authorities to prioritise the safety and needs of cyclists in all future transport schemes."

The poll also asked whether the Tour de France's visit to Britain had thus far encouraged people to get out and cycle more, but it found that only 20 per cent of people felt that it had.

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Nigel Wynn
Former Associate Editor

Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, n exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.