I like cycling although I don’t do much, I believe cyclists have as much right to be on the roads as any other vehicle and I always give as much room as I can when passing them.
Having said this, I can see how it would get annoying in central London or some such if there’s loads of them on the road and you’re trying to make progress. I think it may slip drivers minds how easy it is to seriously injure or kill cyclists if you don’t give them enough room.
The only time I think cyclists are really in danger is when entering a lorry’s nearside blind spot, next to the cab, most drivers will be paying enough attention to know they are there anyway but I wouldn’t blame a driver at a busy time missing the fact.
Bottom line is if I am on a bike, I stay as far away as possible from the big lorry’s that may easily kill me, this is just common sense, some cyclists think though just because they have equal rights on the road that this fact will defend them from being accidentaly killed, many don’t get the chance to realise how wrong they are in that assumption.
Truck driver and rare cycle-er.
switchlogic:
Apologies I said something wildly inappropriate here that within a second realised was indeed wildly inappropriate and therefore removed. As you were.
How dare you! Hang him from the yardarm!
If cyclists haven’t got lights or bright clothing on at night then they don’t have a leg to stand on or won’t soon enough anyway.
10-08:
‘…Round our way they ignore the cycle paths … and … If I can read the signs telling cyclists to go via the village whilst traveling at 30mph why can’t the cyclists? In my opinion they should have some kind of test to show they are safe to go on the roads and why they don’t need insurance is completely beyond me…’
Firstly, whilst I wholly agree with these sentiments, the term ‘…cycle paths…’ are often ‘shared use paths’ which are little more than a footpath allowing bikes on it (at the expense of our society’s vulnerable & pedestrians, etc).
Second, the government doesn’t have, or seek to have enforced, any national guidelines or influence how cyclists are to be ‘policed’: Hence & therefore the current free-for-all & confrontational chaos that blights us.
Thirdly, ultra-liberalism & Tony’s covertly introduced passion for diversity means that he - and all political leaders since - endorse society doing what the hell it likes.
‘…Test…’ and ‘…insurance…’? We can wish - but bare in mind that UK society voted for those that endorse this bugger’s muddle.
Silver_Surfer:
‘… cyclists have as much right to be on the roads as any other vehicle…’
As I understand it, only pedestrians, horse riders & cyclists have ‘…rights…’ in this regard.
All other users are privileged to use the public highway by virtue of qualifying for a licence of authority and by being taxed & insured, etc.
Why doesn’t the UK take a lead from properly policed and legislated European models of cycle management instead of, eg, only adhering to the EU’s autocracy telling us that we cant extradite terrorists, etc?
And we voted for it 
I’m a regular cyclist & truck driver and have come to the conclusion that we are all capable of acts of stupidity on the roads. The only difference is when the cyclist does it they can end up maimed or dead, the vehicle can get scratched!. The problems I see daily are a lack of patience and failure to look around enough from both parties, nobody goes out with the intention of causing other road users problems do they?
As for legislation, it’s a topic on many cycling forums. Insurance, most committed cyclists have it anyway, at the last count around 2 million vehicle users did not. Testing, all for it, I did a cycling proficiency at school, majority of vehicle users pass a test but we all see things by other road users that make us scratch our heads. Registration, so we can report them.tried in other countries and found to be too expensive to run & cancelled. What response do you think you would get from the police if you rang them to report a cyclist jumping a red light or undertaking etc, good luck with that. As for taxing, who’s to pay for it? Our current taxing system is based on emissions, last time I checked my bike was free from those, remember its a vehicle tax not a road tax, so , like some cars, the Toyota Prius for instance, are zero rated, don’t pay tax yet still need a disc.
If you are interested take a look at ipayroadtax.com.