By group editor Nicola Priest I RISK venturing into dangerous waters having a pop at cyclists but I’d like to talk about cyclists riding two or three abreast on the roads and failing to make good use of the cycle ways.

Those who choose to cycle this way surely put themselves in danger – cyclists are, after all, quite vulnerable.

But it’s actually not illegal to ride two abreast on the road. The Highway Code states that you can do this except where a bicycle lane is in operation and there is insufficient room for two riders to ride abreast on it.

But it also states it is important for cyclists to consider other road users and not hog the road. Of course, this works both ways.

Sometimes cyclists have been seen three abreast which of course then makes them quite an obstacle to get around.

I’m not one of the anti-cyclist brigade; indeed, I have a lot of admiration for those fit people who come rain or shine get on their bikes to go to work.

I believe there is room on the road for all of us and when driving I always try to give cyclists plenty of room.

But I’m a firm believer that just like motorists, cyclists have a responsibility to obey the rules of the road. A red light means stop – it isn’t a signal to ride through it or mount the pavement to avoid it.

And there are more cycling lanes than ever before – not enough I’m sure if you are a regular cyclist but most towns and cities are trying to encourage cycling and shifting us from our cars to more environmentally-friendly transport.

There does seem to be a certain hardcore who act as though rules don’t apply to them and it’s those people who give cyclists a bad name. ‘Dangerous cycling’ carries a maximum £2,500 fine and ‘wanton and furious cycling’ could get you a maximum of two years in prison. And these penalties don’t require a death to have happened.

But in reality, these maximum penalties are rarely applied.

But while pedestrian fatalities involving cyclists on pavements are rare, cycling deaths in 2012 hit a five-year high with 122 cyclists killed on our roads.

The vast majority were daily commuters or young children out for a ride on their bikes when they were killed. So all the more reason why each of us – cyclists and motorists – need to be considerate to one other.