Tour de France improve cycle safety

THE TOUR DE FRANCE, which starts in Yorkshire for the 2014 race, has helped increase cycle safety awareness by 90%. Cyclists report car drivers are being more patient and giving them more space on the road in the build-up to the biggest cycling race in the world.

A survey by ColinAppleyard.com found 90% of drivers say they are more of cyclist because of Le Tour, while 73% of drivers said they are now more careful around cyclists.The arrival of the Tour de France has also made 10% of drivers consider buying a bike.

However, 59% of drivers also admitted they had been discourteous to a cyclist within the last two years and 88% of cyclists claimed to have been the victim of bad driving within the past 24 months.

The police are advising all drivers to be more considerate towards cyclists and a spokesman said: ‘Cyclists are among the most vulnerable road users in the UK, so it is up to all of us to be considerate, safe and courteous to all others on the road. This is not just for the duration of the Tour de France, but all the time.’

By Press Association reporters