Cyclists in packs are rough riders: Study

Sydney, Jan 16 (ANI): A new study has revealed that cyclists riding together in packs tend to hog lanes, ride side-by-side and ignore red lights.

Monash University researchers revealed that such behaviour was both illegal and dangerous.

"The cyclists were riding more than two abreast for the entire footage, almost the whole ride the cyclists were in more than one lane, and almost half of the red lights faced were ridden through," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted the authors, as saying.

Marilyn Johnston co-author of the study, said: "There are potential safety impacts for pedestrians, cross-traffic coming through - it's the kind of thing that causes drivers to form a negative opinion of cyclists."

Oz police asked Johnston and her colleagues to undertake the study in 2007 after the death of an elderly pedestrian who was struck by a cyclist riding as part of a pack that had failed to stop at a red light. (ANI)