Researchers from QUT and Monash University have said the word “cyclist” should be banned so people riding bikes can be seen as more human.
A study conducted of cyclists and non-cyclists showed that more than one in ten people have deliberately driven closer to a bike rider and that more than half of drivers think cyclists are not completely human, with many referring to them as 'cockroaches'.
Dr Alexa Delbosc, a senior lecturer at the Institute of Transport Studies at Monash University, said understanding the psychological process of drivers is hoped to stop the abuse directed at cyclists and reduce road rage incidents.