Inexperienced cyclists on the rise

Mounting financial pressures have led to a surge in inexperienced cyclists taking to the roads in Great Britain, resulting in a 29 percent increase in road accidents involving cyclists in the past six months.

A lack of formal training may be one of the causes of this problem, with more than half (52 per cent) of cyclists admitting they have never read the Highway Code's advice for cyclists and just 42 percent have taken a cycling proficiency course.

In the past year one in three cyclists have cycled the wrong way up a one way street, one of the most common causes for bike-car accidents.

Emma Holyer, Spokesperson for LV= car insurance, asked for compulsory cycling proficiency training. "Cycling is a cheap and enjoyable way to get from A to B and great exercise at the same time but it's essential that cyclists are fully equipped to deal with the busy British roads to ensure their own safety and that of other road users.

"If cycling training was compulsory, and cyclists were better equipped to follow the rules of the roads we believe motorists, pedestrians and cyclists themselves would all benefit from fewer accidents and a safer environment on the road."

The survey was conducted online by YouGov Plc (http://www.yougov.com/), with a sampling size of over 2,000 adults.