Public concern has been raised due to many expressing that cyclists in Reading are not taking their safety seriously.

Many have taken to social media to air their grievances, stating that a lot of people at the moment are cycling dangerously.

Anjali Mehra posted on Facebook: “If any of you have loved ones that ride their bikes to and from work, school, or college, can you please make sure they at least have lights on their bikes.

“I’ve come across one too many cyclists with no lights on their bikes and wearing all-black clothing making them really difficult to see on the roads in the dark.”

Many took to the comment section of the post to express how they too had witnessed dangerous cycling.

One user said: "They clearly have a death wish,” with another writing “They are an accident waiting to happen especially electric bikes or scooters who jump on /off the pavements, through traffic lights and go the wrong way up the road.”

A multitude of commenters agreed that cyclists should undergo the same safety measures that are expected of a car.

One user wrote: “I think if they want to cycle on the road, they should be treated like they're driving a car! Mot, road tax, helmet, follow the highway code, stop at lights etc.

“The list goes on! Drivers get the blame if they hit them when nine times out of 10 it's their fault.”

In agreement with the previous comment, many responded stating that they too think bikes should be treated the same as cars with regards to safety.

Another commenter said: “Absolutely correct. Because they have no rules. If you are involved in an incident with a cyclist and your vehicle is damaged, the motorist must pay to get the vehicle repaired and the premiums go up. It's nonsense.”

The store manager of Evans Cycles Mr Kieron Carey said that he thinks the problem is due to there not being enough cycle paths in Reading.

“The roads are so congested around here,” he said. “You see a lot of people weaving in and out of traffic as there’s nowhere else for their bike to go.”

Organiser of Kidical Mass, a monthly family-friendly bike ride, Kat heath said that the problem is not the cyclists, but the lack of appropriate infrastructure.

"If you look at countries like the Netherlands, people wear normal clothes and don't have loads of lights because the infrastructure supports cycling people."

Kidical Mass recently hosted a "glow ride" to raise awareness for cycle paths, and people, to be better lit up at night. 

During this event they, along with Avanti, gave away dozens of free bike lights.

"This is the wrong conversation to be having," she said. "It's not cyclists versus cars, it should be everyone advocating for better lit and segregated cycle paths."