Jeremy Vine says drivers should let cyclists overtake them

Vine believes traffic speeds in urban areas have slowed down so much that some cyclists are now travelling faster than vehicles. 

The 58-year-old has a passion for cycling, so much so he shares his experiences in the saddle with nearly 800,000 online followers through regular tweets and clips filmed through a helmet camera.

These clips have included swerving motorists and the abuse he faces while on the road and travelling to his jobs at the BBC and Channel 5 in London.

Why can’t London drivers overtake with the same grace and consideration that this one in Devon just gave me? pic.twitter.com/eI4Rlq5g1y

— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) August 26, 2023

Motorists should let cyclists overtake says Jeremy Vine

Speaking to The Sunday Times, Vine said he believes urban drivers who see a cyclist in their rear-view mirror, should let them overtake. 

He also suggested that more properly segregated lanes could help reduce accidents.

Vine said: “I do think, firstly, we shouldn’t allow any overtaking of bicycles in big cities. That’s one step.

“And I’m starting to think I want cars to pull over if they see me behind them because they know I’m faster.”

Vine added the reality was, that being behind the wheel of a car could mean drivers were moving at seven miles an hour in traffic, meaning cyclists were going quicker a fact he said motorists just “can’t accept”.

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According to transport software and data firm Basemap (through The Sunday Times) the average speed of traffic in Britain’s biggest cities – London, Birmingham and Manchester – slowed by up to 2mph between 2019 and 2022 to just 22.6mph.

In Wales, the default national speed limit on residential roads is set to be reduced from 30mph to 20mph in September.

They will become the first country in the world, and the first nation in the UK to do so.