'Media hysteria' around Highway Code 'stirring hate' towards cyclists, caller claims

29 January 2022, 15:59 | Updated: 29 January 2022, 16:11

Caller fumes at 'media hysteria' surrounding Highway Code changes

By Seán Hickey

This 'lycra wearing' cyclist insists that changes to the Highway Code are just formalising existing rules, and media 'hysteria' is driving hate towards cyclists.

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Mark has been cycling to and from work for 30 years and told Andrew Pierce he is a "lycra-wearing, low handlebar" type of cyclist.

He phoned in to LBC to dismiss media uproar over changes to the Highway Code, which allows cyclists to cycle on the right of the lane if there are obstructions on the left.

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"This media hysteria being whipped up" he told Andrew, declaring that he sees first-hand the anger of motorists as the topic gets more attention.

He went on to say that he's "seeing all these ridiculous memes" taking aim at cyclists as rule changes are set to come into place, which he believes are "stirring up division and hate" of people cycling on Britain's roads.

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Andrew brought up a specific case of a group of cyclists who brought massive delays to traffic for not giving way while cycling in the middle of the road.

"I've got no idea what's going through their brain" the caller declared, noting that their actions don't help matters and only aggravate the majority.

He maintained that changes to the Highway Code are only a "codification of what was always the case", making the case that "you're never going to see a cyclist riding close to parked cars".

Riding on the left along parked cars is a "simply a very, very dangerous way to ride a bike" the caller reiterated, concluding that seasoned cyclists have always used the centre of the road when there's no space on the left.