New survey reveals 94 per cent of cyclists have almost been sideswiped

Despite being protected by road sharing rules 94 per cent of cyclists have almost been sideswiped by a vehicle on SA roads.

When Alex Scott gets on his bike he braces for impact, or the inevitable confrontation.

Mr Scott, 32, from Dover Gardens, said no provocation was necessary for the most aggressive drivers.

“Almost every second time I go for a ride I have a bad experience of some sort, so much so that I’ve come to expect there will be drivers who want to give me a hard time just for riding my bike,’’ he said.

“I’ve had more near-misses than I can count – a lot of the time the one-metre gap that should be given is non-existent.

“Other times I get cut off by drivers who either don’t see me, or do and proceed anyway.

“I’ve also been abused and told to get back in my bike lane even though I’m in it.

RAA traffic engineer Matt Vertudaches said Mr Scott was one of 94 per cent of cyclists who had almost been sideswiped by a vehicle on SA roads.

The motoring organisation has surveyed 400 cyclists about dangers on the road and found 76 per cent had been the subject of road rage and 56 per cent disagreed with the statement “most of the time, I feel safe to share the road with motorists.”

But crash statistics show only one in five crashes involving a cyclist and motorist are attributed to the cyclist.

Alex Scott and Zoe Hannam say they often have dangerous encounters with motorists.

“The main aim of RAA’s Risky Rides survey was to identify gaps in cycling infrastructure because the lack of continuous cycling infrastructure is a real concern for many riders,” Mr Vertudaches said.

“The report also reveals that many drivers are letting their emotions get the better of them when sharing the road with vulnerable road users.

“This cyclist feedback also further highlights the need for South Australia to invest more in cycling infrastructure.”

Mr Scott wants more motorists to empathise with cyclists when they are driving close to them.

“At the end of the day we’re someone’s son, brother, mother or sister and we have families or children to get home to as well,” he said.

According to the report, approximately 20 per cent of RAA’s 800,000 members had cycled in the past year.

Between 2017-2021, 2310 cyclists were injured and 23 killed in SA, with two cyclists have been killed on SA roads so far this year.