Fury on the streets as road rage soars – and food delivery riders are to blame

BRITAIN is experiencing a surge in road rage – triggered by the boom in delivery cyclists, drivers say.

A poll of 2,000 road users found 28 per cent have seen an increase in incidents within the past year – with more than four in 10 blaming this chaos on the rise in delivery riders.

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Topping the list of what most annoys motorists about delivery cyclists is riding on the pavement (27%), a lack of respect for other road users (27%), and running red lights (26%).

Six in ten people say they have noticed more delivery cyclists on the roads in their towns or cities, with more than a fifth saying they are the reason for the rise in road rage.

The research was commissioned by rapid delivery company Jiffy, which has partnered with three times Olympic cycling champion Ed Clancy ahead of National Bike Week to teach a safety course for rule-breaking delivery riders.

The course will show how to deliver goods quickly without endangering the public.

Vladimir Kholiaznikov, co-founder of the delivery company, said: “Two in five people feel less safe on the roads than 12 months ago and nearly half of respondents believe this is due to rapid grocery and food delivery services.

“We have taken the first step in addressing the issue – in order to improve the safety of all road users.”

Up to 70% of people don’t think these delivery drivers are properly trained, although over 20% say they will still use their services despite this.

Many feel the increase of road rage can be traced to our ‘need it now’ culture, with 45% believing speedy delivery services contribute to consequences on the road.

A third of people said they are less patient than they used to be, and the same number would not wait longer than 45 minutes before getting annoyed.

Talking about the safety course, Ed Clancy added: “It has been designed to ensure that Jiffy riders can deliver safely whilst getting people what they need in minutes, all within the rules of the new Highway Code.

“We’re making this film publicly available in the run up to National Bike Week to kick-off our training initiative to improve safety.

“We urge other rapid delivery services to follow Jiffy’s lead.”