Rising fuel prices and concerns about the environment are pushing some people towards getting on their bike instead of behind the wheel. However, not everyone feels confident in doing so. What challenges do they face in Suffolk?
Gala Fraser Lim, 18, was riding home from her job at the Gainsborough Sports Centre in Ipswich when she was knocked off her bicycle by a car earlier this year.
It destroyed her set of wheels and damaged her confidence.
“I did suggest we swap numbers but, sadly, I was given a fake number,” she says of the car driver. “I called the police, but never heard back.”
Despite her passion for cycling, the experience put Fraser Lim off getting back on the saddle.
“I was really shocked and scared to go on the road again,” she adds.
Up to 11% of people in Suffolk cycle at least once a week, according to the county council.
Chris Grover, its transport, travel and safety manager, believes that number will only increase if riders are safely kept away from busy traffic.