Riding through London’s busy streets, Mike has seen firsthand how dangerous cycling can become when driver behaviour turns aggressive. After multiple incidents – including being knocked off his bike and suffering serious injury – he now records every ride. In this UpRider story, Mike shares his experience, why he believes accountability is key to changing driver behaviour, and the practical steps cyclists can take to stay safer on the road.
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Every UpRider has a story. Here is Mike’s.
What happened prior to this incident and why do you record your ride?
I was on a 50-mile round trip cycle from my parents’ place in North London to my home in SW London and back again. I had just got to Wimbledon Common and was making my way past King’s College, heading towards Raynes Park.
I always record my rides now, especially as my experience of riding around London and into Surrey is that the aggression shown by drivers to cyclists has gone up to incredible levels in the last 18 months. The “standard” behaviour seems to be either close or punishment passes, and incidents like this where the driver won’t complete the overtake and turn into your space.
I’ve been knocked off my bike twice over the last three years from close and punishment passes, and suffered concussion for six months each time. So it’s good to have a record of it (though in both cases, nothing was done).
When do you feel most vulnerable as a cyclist?
To be honest, whenever I’m on a road also used by motor vehicles. Generally, apart from club rides, I cycle solo, which again seems to “encourage” aggressive behaviour from drivers.
I try and find routes less used by other motor vehicles to avoid these scenarios, but that’s proving less and less possible. In addition, in Merton there are hardly any physically segregated cycle lanes – just painted lines on the road, which offer zero protection.
What do you think are the most important things that can be done to improve safety for cyclists on the road?
Physically segregated cycle lanes to replace the painted ones, for a start.
The biggest issue is dealing with drivers’ aggressive behaviour towards cyclists. At the moment, there is no consequence for these drivers, which emboldens them to continue driving like this. The only way I can see this attitude changing is for there to be a financial consequence to these actions.
UpRide provides a portal to report these incidents, which is great. It would make sense for police forces to utilise this information to at least track common offenders and possibly drive the fining process, much like the Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). Unfortunately, that would require resources from the police which they currently do not have.
Did you report your incident? What was the reporting process?
Yes – I reported the incident and submitted the footage to the Police. Thankfully, In the UK, there is now a portal hosted on Nextbase which provides links to the relevant police force to submit your report and upload any corroborating evidence. You can find the link here:
https://nextbase.co.uk/national-dash-cam-safety-portal/
What is your advice for other cyclists?
I think one thing that I’ve noticed a lot recently with other cyclists is that they don’t necessarily cycle defensively to protect their position on the road – mitigating issues such as potholes and drain covers in the gutter, as well as the possibility of car doors being opened whilst passing parked cars.
I’m old enough to remember having to do a Cycling Proficiency Test at school, where they taught these riding styles. So rather than riding in the gutter, cycle more away from it to give yourself space. Aggressive drivers will not like this, but this is actually permissible in the UK, and the Highway Code allows for cyclists to take the Primary Position.
Other advice I would give is to try and remain calm when being subjected to car horns, vocal abuse, and aggressive driving from these drivers. It’s quite easy – and completely understandable – to feel stressed and flustered by all this commotion. This can sometimes mean losing control of your bike and crashing.
Easier said than done, I agree, but something to think about.
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