Courier-Mail: Cyclists hit by road rage

First it was scooter riders, now it’s cyclists. A new survey has revealed two-wheelers are copping abuse and road rage from other motorists. The CARSguide.com.au online survey has found cyclists are the most hated road users at 28 per cent. They were followed by large trucks (20 per cent), large 4WDs (15 per cent) and illegal window washers who bale up motorists at traffic lights. The national survey of 1026 people follows a recent study which found almost half of Queensland motorists said the growing presence of motor scooters was the new scourge on city streets.

Bicycle Queensland manager Ben Wilson said he expected the survey result because of the growing number of bikes on the road which were slower than other traffic. “Bike sales have been high for about five years, outselling cars,” he said. Last year there were 1.2 million bikes sold in Australia, compared with 962,666 motor vehicles. “Sorry, but we will see more and more bikes on the road and the best thing for all is to show a bit more patience although I haven’t witnessed a huge increase in road rage towards cyclists.”

Mr Wilson called for better facilities for cyclists such as bikeways and bike lanes to get bicycles out of the way of traffic. Bikes, like scooters, had an increased presence on the road in the wake of rising fuel costs and growing environmental awareness, he said. The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries has also sprung to the defence of scooters. FCAI chief executive Andrew McKellar said the growing numbers of scooter riders were legitimate road users, and most were responsible and sensible.

The CARSguide.com.au survey, run by CoreData, also found illegal street racing was a big issue, aggressive driving was rampant and drivers would dob in illegal road activity, even if it was a friend or family member.

What survey found

* 68 per cent said they had witnessed illegal street racing on public roads

* 45 per cent had been encouraged to participate in illegal street racing

* 35 per cent said they sped up to get ahead of other cars when lanes merged

* 52 per cent said they would report a colleague for dangerous driving if they could remain anonymous

* 39 per cent would report a friend for illegal driving and 30 per cent would report a family member

* 74 per cent said car window washers at intersections and stop signs were a major safety issue