Why Better Roads Aren't Enough to Help Cyclists

In recent years, cities across the UK have spent millions improving cycling lanes and junction layouts. From London to Manchester, painted paths and protected crossings have become symbols of progress. Yet, for many cyclists, the roads still feel like a game of chance.

A recent Guardian article by journalist Peter Walker captured this perfectly. He listed five everyday dangers cyclists face — impatient drivers, corner-cutters, and unsteady e-bike riders among them. His piece, written with the weary humour only a seasoned commuter could manage, highlights a sobering truth: better infrastructure alone won’t keep cyclists safe.

At Cycle Legal, we see this every day in the cases that come through our door. Accidents don’t just happen because a bike lane ends abruptly or a pothole goes unrepaired. They happen because people — drivers, riders, and sometimes even pedestrians — make choices that ignore the simple duty of care we owe one another.

Cycling safety is often compared to building stronger walls, but what’s really needed is a change in how we behave inside them.

The Real Risks Cyclists Still Face

Mr Walker’s article didn’t exaggerate. Every cyclist knows the familiar hazards he describes — and most have met at least one of them face to face. These aren’t freak incidents. They’re patterns, repeated daily on roads not designed for human error.

Let’s look at a few of these dangers and what they mean in real terms.

1. The “Must Get In Front” Driver (MGIF)

You’re cycling down a narrow street, steady pace, plenty of visibility. Then you hear it — the low growl of an engine hovering at your back wheel. You already know what’s coming. The car swings out, squeezes past with inches to spare, and stops seconds later at a red light you now roll up beside.

This behaviour is so common it has its own nickname among cyclists: MGIF, short for “must get in front.” It’s unnecessary, reckless, and often intimidating. In legal terms, this can amount to dangerous or careless driving, especially if it causes a near miss or collision. The Highway Code requires drivers to give cyclists at least 1.5 metres of space when overtaking — a rule ignored far too often.

When close passing leads to injury, cyclists have every right to pursue a cycling accident claim, supported by helmet camera footage or witness statements that show the driver’s lack of care.

2. The Corner Cutter

Imagine turning into a side street only to see a car veer across the centre line, cutting the corner to save a second. It’s a manoeuvre that happens so frequently it’s almost invisible to most drivers — but for cyclists, it’s terrifying.

A driver who cuts across a lane fails to observe their surroundings and gives no thought to oncoming traffic. Legally, this can be seen as negligence: a breach of the duty to take reasonable care on the road. Even if the driver doesn’t collide with a cyclist, the sudden swerve can cause a fall, leading to injury without contact.

At Cycle Legal, we’ve seen claims where riders were injured simply by reacting to a driver’s carelessness — forced off balance, hitting a kerb, or colliding with another vehicle while avoiding danger. These are valid grounds for compensation claims when supported by evidence.

3. The Late-Night Rule Breaker

When traffic dies down and the city quiets, another risk emerges: drivers who treat empty roads as their playground. Late at night or early in the morning, speed limits and lane markings seem optional.

Cyclists often face close passes at high speed from cars, taxis, and even buses. In these conditions, even a small misjudgment can cause life-changing injuries. While police enforcement has improved, proving fault still relies heavily on evidence — camera footage, GPS data, or witness reports showing excessive speed or erratic driving.

If a cyclist is injured in these circumstances, the driver may be held liable under the Road Traffic Act for careless or dangerous driving, depending on the severity and context.

4. The E-Bike Dabbler

Then there’s the modern hazard: the casual e-bike user. They’re often well-meaning but inexperienced, gliding through junctions or red lights as if traffic rules don’t apply.

While e-bikes are a positive step for sustainable transport, they introduce a new challenge — riders who can travel fast without the road awareness of regular cyclists. The law treats e-bikes as pedal cycles if they meet certain limits (motor assistance below 15.5mph, maximum 250W power). But when accidents occur, liability depends on the specific circumstances — who caused the collision, how the road was shared, and whether reasonable care was taken by each party.

Cyclists injured by another rider, or pedestrians struck by an e-bike, may still have grounds for a personal injury claim depending on negligence.

When Poor Driving Becomes Negligence

Many cyclists assume that unless a car makes contact, there’s no case to answer. In reality, the law takes a broader view. Negligence isn’t defined by a collision alone — it’s about whether a driver failed to take reasonable care to avoid causing harm.

Think of it like balancing on a tightrope. Every road user has a responsibility to keep that balance steady. The moment someone shifts their weight without looking, whether by speeding, overtaking too close, or turning without checking mirrors — they risk sending others tumbling.

Under UK law, negligence in a cycling accident claim is proven by three main elements:

Duty of care: Every driver, cyclist, and pedestrian owes a duty to behave safely toward others on the road.
Breach of duty: This is where a driver’s action — or inaction — falls below what’s expected. For example, cutting across a cycle lane, overtaking within half a metre, or failing to check a blind spot.
Causation: The breach directly causes injury or damage. This can include physical contact or indirect harm (such as forcing a cyclist to swerve into another vehicle or obstacle).

In cases Cycle Legal handles, the hardest part isn’t proving that harm occurred — it’s proving that the driver’s behaviour caused it. That’s why evidence is crucial. Helmet camera footage, GPS data, and dashcam recordings can all reveal patterns of carelessness: the late braking, the sharp veer, the missed indicator.

When these moments are pieced together, they form a clear picture of negligence. The driver’s intentions don’t matter; it’s their failure to act with reasonable care that defines the case.

Negligence also extends beyond private motorists. It can include professional drivers — taxis, delivery vans, or buses — whose employers may share liability under vicarious liability rules. In these cases, the cyclist’s claim can cover not just injury and bike damage, but also special damages like lost earnings and rehabilitation costs.

Negligence isn’t about blame for its own sake. It’s about accountability — recognising that every careless decision on the road has a ripple effect. One driver’s impatience can change someone else’s life in a second. And when that happens, the law gives cyclists the right to seek fair compensation and justice.

The E-Bike Revolution and Liability Confusion

Electric bikes have transformed the way people move through cities. They flatten hills, shorten commutes, and open cycling up to people who might never have considered it before. But with that freedom has come confusion — especially when it comes to responsibility on the road.

The Guardian article described the “hire e-bike dabbler”: riders who hop on shared e-bikes without much experience, gliding through traffic at 15 miles per hour with one hand on the handlebars and the other on their phone. They mean no harm, but they often treat the road like a playground rather than a shared system.

From a legal standpoint, e-bikes occupy a tricky middle ground. They’re classed as “electrically assisted pedal cycles” (EAPCs) as long as they:

Have pedals that can be used to propel the bike.
Provide motor assistance only while pedalling.
Cut motor power above 15.5 mph.
Have a motor no more powerful than 250 watts.

When these limits are met, riders are treated the same as traditional cyclists — no insurance, licence, or registration required. But when they’re exceeded, the vehicle becomes a motor vehicle in the eyes of the law, meaning the rider could be breaking multiple regulations, including those under the Road Traffic Act.

This is where things get messy.
If a cyclist is injured by an e-bike that turns out to be non-compliant, determining liability can be as tangled as a dropped chain. Who’s responsible — the rider, the hire company, or the manufacturer?

At Cycle Legal, we’ve seen cases where:

An e-bike rider collided with another cyclist after accelerating too quickly.
A hire e-bike’s brakes failed, leading to an injury.
A pedestrian was struck by a user going against traffic flow.

Each required a detailed look at negligence, duty of care, and equipment compliance.

In many cases, insurance may not exist to cover the damage. That’s why the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) sometimes steps in as a safety net for people injured by uninsured or untraceable drivers and, in rare cases, unregistered electric vehicles.

The takeaway? E-bikes are here to stay, but so is the confusion around them. Until regulations catch up, riders must treat them with the same respect and caution they would any vehicle capable of causing harm. And if you’ve been injured in an accident involving an e-bike — whether as a cyclist or pedestrian — it’s vital to speak with a specialist cycling solicitor who understands these emerging legal nuances.

Why Better Roads Won’t Fix Everything

Cycle lanes, traffic filters, and new junction designs have all helped make cycling safer — but they can’t solve the one problem that tarmac can’t touch: behaviour.

Every painted line on a road is a rule written in asphalt, yet rules only work if people follow them. The truth is that most cycling accidents happen not because infrastructure is missing, but because someone, somewhere, ignored a basic duty of care.

A protected lane doesn’t help when a driver cuts across it without checking their mirrors. A freshly laid path offers little comfort when an impatient motorist overtakes too close. Even the best-planned city network can’t account for the unpredictability of tired, distracted, or aggressive driving.

We’ve seen it firsthand. Cycle Legal has represented clients injured in collisions that occurred metres away from brand-new cycle lanes. The danger wasn’t the road — it was a moment of inattention.

Behavioural change is harder to engineer than concrete, but it’s also where the greatest progress lies. True safety comes from road culture, not road layout. It means treating cyclists not as obstacles but as people — parents, workers, and commuters — all sharing the same space and trying to get home safely.

Legal accountability plays a part in shaping that culture. When negligent drivers are held responsible, it sends a message that careless actions have real consequences. In that sense, every successful cycling accident claim does more than compensate an individual; it pushes road culture a small step forward.

As the Guardian article reminded us, cyclists have learned to expect danger long before it arrives — but with awareness, empathy, and enforcement, we can build a future where vigilance isn’t the price of travel.

What Cyclists Can Do to Protect Themselves

Even the most cautious cyclist can’t control every risk on the road — but there are steps you can take to protect yourself both physically and legally if an accident does occur.

1. Capture Evidence Early

In modern cycling claims, evidence is everything. A small handlebar or helmet camera can be the difference between a word-against-word dispute and a clear record of negligence.
Video footage helps show distance, speed, and positioning — all vital details when proving a breach of duty.
If you don’t have footage, try to note:

Vehicle registration numbers
Time and location of the incident
Weather and traffic conditions
Names and contact details of witnesses

The more detail you record, the stronger your case will be later.

2. Report Close Passes and Near Misses

A close pass may not always cause an accident, but it’s still a sign of dangerous driving.
Many local police forces now accept video submissions from cyclists under “Operation Snap” or similar schemes. Reporting these incidents helps build data that leads to safer roads — and if the same driver causes an accident in future, there’s a record of repeated behaviour.

3. Seek Medical Attention, Even for Minor Injuries

Cycling injuries often seem minor at first — a sore wrist, a bruised hip, or mild concussion. But some symptoms take hours or days to appear.
Getting checked by a medical professional ensures your health is protected and creates a formal record that can later support a personal injury claim if needed.

4. Keep Track of Expenses

If you’re injured and need treatment or your bike is damaged, keep receipts and records.
These costs fall under special damages — compensation for losses directly linked to your accident, such as:

Medical bills or physiotherapy
Lost income from missed work
Travel costs to appointments
Replacement or repair of your bike and gear

Documenting these expenses helps your solicitor build a full picture of your financial loss.

5. Get Specialist Legal Advice

Cycling law can be complex, especially when fault isn’t obvious. A cycle accident solicitor understands how to gather evidence, communicate with insurers, and guide you through the claims process with empathy and expertise.

Building a Safer Road Culture Together

Cycling has always been more than a way to get from one place to another — it’s freedom on two wheels. But that freedom depends on a shared understanding: that every road user has a duty to look out for everyone else.

Infrastructure helps, but it’s empathy that saves lives. Drivers who give space. Cyclists who ride predictably. Pedestrians who check before stepping out. Small actions, repeated every day, can transform our roads into places of respect rather than risk.

At Cycle Legal, we believe safer roads begin with awareness — and accountability. Every time a negligent driver is held responsible, it reinforces that principle for everyone else. Legal action isn’t just about compensation; it’s about setting a standard for what responsible road use should look like.