In an appearance on Absolute Radio, Richard Hammond admitted that he believes that some cyclists have the wrong attitude towards safety.
The former Top Gear presenter criticised “this idea that you can cycle around and then it’s everybody else’s job” to keep you safe. It’s your right to be safe… It’s not!”
He said that he “has been riding bikes for 40 years and I’m still alive because I look everywhere and I assume, they’re going to pull out of that junction.
“Yeah, they’re going to close that gap. Yeah, they’re going to turn left on me and squash me. I’m just surprised when they don’t”
He does clarify that “car drivers who don’t look, bad,” and that he is “bikes before cars, actually.”
“I’m going to have a horrible time,” he added, aware that what he is saying is controversial, and has since been met with criticism on Facebook.
“He’s right up to a point, but the safest, most responsible cyclist can still be wiped out by a bad driver. The safest, most responsible driver can’t really be harmed by a bad cyclist,” said Richard Gracie.
David Price said, “What so often gets overlooked in these discussions is the impact (which is rather what Richard is pointing out), and it’s really important.
“You get bad motorists, and you get bad cyclists, but the reason why it’s more important that motorists are careful is that …
“Bad cyclists annoy motorists. Bad motorists kill cyclists.”