Many accidents involving cyclists happen because the drivers around them are acting aggressively. In some cases, this is because those drivers actively do not like cyclists and do not want to share the road with them. They become frustrated, annoyed and aggressive, and this can lead to serious injuries.
But why does it happen? Why does there seem to be animosity between the two groups? Here are two potential reasons.
Drivers are in a hurry
One issue that some have noted is that cyclists are legally allowed to ride far below the speed limit. This frustrates some drivers, especially when they’re in a hurry.
For example, if there is a cyclist in the road and there’s no safe way to pass, drivers are supposed to stay behind them until they can give them enough space to pass properly. But many drivers don’t want to wait, so they will just barge their way through, getting far too close to the cyclist in the process. In the driver’s mind, the cyclist is the problem for holding up traffic—rather than recognizing that they are the problem for driving dangerously.
Attributing bad behaviors to the group
One interesting psychological trick that happens is that people will sometimes see a cyclist make a mistake or ignore the rules of the road. Perhaps they watch a cyclist roll through a stop sign without coming to a complete stop. In these cases, people are likely to apply these attributes mentally to the entire group. So if they see one cyclist break a traffic law, in their mind, this becomes the idea that “all cyclists break traffic laws.” The next time they see a cyclist, they expect this behavior, even though that individual had nothing to do with the original event.
Unfortunately, cyclists are most likely to suffer serious injuries when involved in accidents. Those who do need to know how to seek financial compensation from negligent drivers.