Opinion: It’s time to stop overreacting to everything Jeremy Vine says
The broadcaster is a passionate defender of safe cycling, but take some of what he says with a pinch of salt


It’s a day that ends in the letter ‘y’, which means Jeremy Vine is in the headlines again.
This time, the BBC and Channel 5 presenter has been picked up on his comments about pulling over for cyclists in cities. Speaking to the Sunday Times, Vine said: “I do think, firstly, we shouldn’t allow any overtaking of bicycles in big cities. That’s one step.
“And I’m starting to think I want cars to pull over if they see me behind them because they know I’m faster.”
These comments are inescapable this morning. Many publications construed what Vine said as a push for legislation, a call for government action. From what I see, he’s merely asking for courtesy.
Let’s start with the first part, the bit about clamping down on overtaking bicycles.
Under Rule 163 of the Highway Code, motorists are told to “leave at least 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists at speeds of up to 30mph, and give them more space when overtaking at higher speeds.”
I live in London, and speak from experience when I say, if this rule was strictly enforced, there would be very little overtaking of cyclists anyway. The roads are too narrow, and with a constant stream of vehicles in the other direction, there’s rarely a safe opportunity to give the required space. Yet it still happens, so new rules don't seem like the answer.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Still, it’s the second part of Vine’s comments that has really stoked the fire. Here they are again: “I’m starting to think I want cars to pull over if they see me behind them because they know I’m faster.”
But it is simply unrealistic to mandate motorists to pull over for cyclists.
According to data from transport software firm Basemap, the average driving speed in Britain’s three largest cities was 22.6mph between 2019 and 2022. I, like Vine, am a keen cyclist, but there’s no chance I can sustain that speed past Liverpool Street Station in rush hour, nor do I expect cars to part for me like the Red Sea for Moses.
This, I’d guess, is unlikely to be what Vine is asking for, either. His suggestion isn't outrageous, though. The Highway Code says that on quiet streets, or in slow-moving traffic (see: any British city), “if a faster vehicle comes up behind you, move to the left to enable them to overtake, if you can do so safely.”
There’s no reason why this shouldn’t apply to cyclists, too. We don’t need a blanket rule that says, ‘When you see a cyclist in your rear-view mirror, swerve left and plough into the curb’, but a bit more awareness to make more space would go a long way.
All of this said there’s rarely a willingness to understand Vine’s comments.
The presenter, who captures and shares footage recorded from a camera fixed to his helmet, is often criticised for his ‘ardent’ pro-cycling stance. Generally, though, what this boils down to is his desire that neither he, nor anyone else, gets killed while riding a bike.
When he stuck up for a cycle lane in Hammersmith, a report in The Telegraph suggested he was favouring congestion ('Scrapping bus lane for Jeremy Vine’s favourite cycle lane increases congestion, TFL admits'). And when someone in a 30-ton bus narrowly passed him in March, the MailOnline used the incident as the focus of a ‘who’s in the right?’ article - a format used to prey on a faux culture war that splits cyclists and motorists into opposing camps (NB: the majority of cyclists are also motorists).
Even when he's talking off the cuff, like in the Times piece, Vine's comments are taken as gospel, and used as fuel for this fire. Without wanting to sound like the person from the ‘Leave Britney Alone’ video, I think it’s time to stop overreacting whenever the presenter defends cycling.
Motorist, cyclist or pedestrian, we all have a duty of care to each other when we share the roads. Perhaps we should focus more on that, and less on blowing one man's commute out of proportion.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Tom joined Cycling Weekly as a news and features writer in the summer of 2022, having previously contributed as a freelancer. He is fluent in French and Spanish, and holds a master's degree in International Journalism. Since 2020, he has been the host of The TT Podcast, offering race analysis and rider interviews.
An enthusiastic cyclist himself, Tom likes it most when the road goes uphill, and actively seeks out double-figure gradients on his rides. His best result is 28th in a hill-climb competition, albeit out of 40 entrants.
-
Emily Ehrlich and Artem Shmidt win US national TT titles
Ehrlich beats Faulkner while neo pro Schmidt rides to debut elite national championship win
-
Richard Carapaz soars to solo victory on stage 11 of the Giro d'Italia
Blistering attack on the final climb propels the EF Education rider to the win, with Isaac De Toro holding on to pink
-
Only 1% of London bike thefts result in police action, according to figures
More than 1,363 incidents of bike-related crime were reported in the London borough of Hackney last year
-
'The trolling just got too bad' - Jeremy Vine to stop cycling videos
Presenter says at least two death threats against him are being investigated by the police
-
Fines threatened in clampdown on 'problematic parking' of e-bikes in London
Dockless e-bike operators could face action for 'wilful obstruction'
-
Advocates urge Biden to curb speeding crisis with Intelligent Speed Assistance in government vehicles
More than five dozen groups push for speed-limiting tech as roadway fatalities hit a multi-decade high
-
'Plague of mosquitoes': The best and most concerning quotes from Parliament's cycling debate
Here's what the Lords had to say, from cat-chipping bikes to citing Mario Cipollini
-
London Duathlon cancelled to 'unforeseen factors' including safety fears over speeding bikes
The fate of one of the world's biggest duathlons follows the similar cancellation of Richmond Park's time trials
-
Mega-retailer Amazon now liable for hazardous products sold on its site, including faulty e-bike batteries
The multi-billion-dollar behemoth of Amazon will now hold responsibility for defective or unsafe products sold by third-party sellers, which extends to products such as e-bikes and e-bike batteries.
-
Are cyclists who jump red lights really the problem?
Almost a thousand riders were penalised for jumping red lights in past year in City of London