A community snapshot following the “most dangerous place to cycle” headline from BBC News, 15 June 2026
When a recent report* claimed that Reading is the “riskiest place to cycle outside London”, it sparked a wave of discussion across social media platforms.
Specifically, this quickly became an opportunity for local cyclists to share their personal experiences on the Reading Cycle Campaign Facebook page.
This article summarises the many comments on both Facebook and Reddit.
However, before we start, it is worth highlighting that the statistic behind the headline was somewhat misleading. In fact, multiple commenters challenged the BBC’s interpretation of the casualty data.
One explained:
“The stat is not actually showing how dangerous it is to cycle in Reading. It’s really just showing cyclists as a share of all reported road casualties.”
This means Reading could appear “dangerous” simply because pedestrian casualties fell and/or car‑on‑car collisions fell, even if cycling casualties stayed the same. (Read our article ‘Cycle Safety in Reading’.)
Reading should absolutely take cyclist casualties seriously, however cycling remains one of the healthiest, most efficient and most reliable ways to travel in Reading. That said, there are still many improvements Reading could make to help keep cyclists safer.
The biggest issue is infrastructure which doesn’t join up
Cyclists repeatedly highlight the same issue: inconsistent, incomplete and poorly maintained cycle infrastructure. One commenter summed it up bluntly:
“Cycle lanes are painted lines and even they don’t join into anything meaningful.”
Others described disappearing lanes, sudden switches to shared‑use paths and dangerous pinch‑points:
“Traffic volumes have gone up… infrastructure has not improved. This turns every single road into a rat‑run.”
Close passes, driver behaviour and roundabout design
A striking number of comments described close passes, tailgating and even deliberate intimidation.
“Get close passed daily, multiple times… impatient drivers sitting on your back wheel.”
Some reported extreme incidents, including being chased, forced off the road and being involved in or witnessing collisions on roundabouts. In fact, roundabouts were repeatedly named as the most dangerous place to cycle.
“Going around a roundabout as a cyclist in Reading is a complete gamble.”
(Read the article on the Vastern Road Roundabout.)
But not everyone has negative experiences
Several riders said they feel safe cycling in Reading and have done so for decades without incident.
“I’ve been cycling in Reading for 30 years… I’ve never had any of that happen to me.”
Newer residents also commented that Reading has more cyclists than expected and that some cycle lanes are better marked than in other towns.
What this means for Reading
The online discussion shows a town where:
- many people want to cycle,
- many already do,
- but the infrastructure hasn’t kept pace with demand.
The comments highlight the need for consistent, safe and connected routes that work for all road users.
“More segregated cycle lanes are needed. Only then will people make the swap from cars to bikes.”
Reading has the potential to be a brilliant cycling town. The distances are ideal. The river and canal paths are loved. But the gaps in the network, the dangerous junctions and roundabouts, and the lack of protection on busy roads continue to hold people back.
As one commenter put it:
“Cyclists don’t choose to ride on busy roads… it’s just most of the time they are the only viable option.”
Susan Children
RCC Publicity Coordinator
* A study by process safety consultancy Sigma-HSE analysed the latest data from the Department for Transport (DfT). It revealed that Reading ranked 11th in the list of riskiest areas for cyclists in Great Britain. BBC News 15 June 2026.
