81% of Drivers Believe that Cyclists Must Stay on the Left-Hand Side of the Road

If you’ve ever been enjoying a bike ride only to be yelled at for riding outside a cycle lane or riding with two side by side, then you won’t be surprised to hear about the results of a survey that has revealed the lack of motorists’ knowledge about cyclists’ rights, and the possible extent of their road rage.

A poll of 1,000 motorists reported on by eBikes Direct, 81 percent of motorists are of the belief that cyclists must ride on the left-hand side of the road, with 65 percent believing they must use a cycle lane if available.  As you might guess, the motorists are wrong on both counts.

In addition, 73 percent also believe that cyclists are not allowed to ride two abreast (with this belief going up to 92 percent among Londoners), with almost a quarter thinking that bikers can ride on pavements.

It is this dearth of information about beliefs about what cyclists can and cannot do that causes significant rage toward those who ride bikes.  The poll uncovered that 39 percent of drivers say they have gotten angry at a cyclist.  But the percentage varies by region with, for example, 80 percent of drivers in the southeast acknowledging yelling at someone riding a bike