I drove to work today and during the journey I was wondering if I pay more attention to cyclists on the road due to the fact that I am one.

I was sat at a red traffic light waiting to turn left with my indicator on, as the lights turned green and before I pulled away, I looked in my wing mirrors and noticed a cyclist riding up the inside of me and attempting to get past me before I made my left turn; I waited until he had gone past before I started to move.

This situation is commonly called a "left hook" by cyclists as there are often times where a car will overtake and then immediately make a left turn, causing the cyclist to take avoiding action in order to prevent a collision.

This morning, if I had not checked my mirrors before pulling away and there had been a collision who would have been at fault?

As a cyclist, I would not have filtered up the inside of a car that was indicating left as the lights were changing as this presents an obvious danger and I don't assume that drivers use their mirrors.

As a driver, I check my mirrors before pulling away to ensure that it is safe to do so, but I guess I am probably more aware of these types of hazards due to the fact that I am also a cyclist.

However, I still don't know who would have been at fault in this case if there had been a collision, I suspect that it would have been the cyclist but I may be wrong.

So is it dangerous cycling on the road? Not really, according to the UK's National Travel Survey, per mile, more people get killed walking than cycling and you are more likely to suffer an injury requiring medical care while gardening than on your bike.

Here are a few tips to make cycling even safer than it already is: Learn the skills - National Standards training is a three-tier programme covering everything from basic bike control to complicated urban journeys. To find out more or locate an instructor, see www.ctc.org.uk/cycletraining.

Get out of the gutter - You should always be at least 50cm from the kerb, and sometimes further. Positioning yourself in the middle of the lane is called ‘the primary position’ or ‘taking the lane’. It makes you more visible and forces cars to overtake properly or wait until it is safe to do so.

Make eye contact - Eye contact with a driver lets you know they have seen you; look purposefully right at them. Have they seen you? Good. There’ll be no “sorry, mate, I didn’t see you” moment. It’s useful for almost any manoeuvre, whether you’re turning right or approaching a junction.

Signal like you mean it - Signal your intentions to other road users. You’re not asking their permission; you are telling them unambiguously where you’re going. Check over your shoulder early so you can change position smoothly and predictably. If there’s following traffic, eyeball the lead driver, signal clearly and begin your manoeuvre.

Traffic lights - Don’t jump red lights. It infuriates drivers and you may get T-boned by someone accelerating for an amber. Wait, behind the advance stop line if there is one, and not in the gutter. Take your lane. That way nothing can squeeze dangerously past or left hook you.

Based on information supplied by David Brown.