DRIVERS are ill-informed of cyclists’ rights on the road, a survey has revealed as figures show hundreds of riders have been injured on the county’s roads.

According to a survey of 1000 drivers, 59 per cent of Dorset motorist are unaware of the rights of those on two wheels despite sharing the road with bike users daily.

Figures released by Dorset Police have revealed that since the beginning of 2015, 610 cyclists have been killed or injured after being involved in accidents on Dorset roads.

The study, carried out by eBikes direct, revealed that more than 80 per those in the south west wrongly believe cyclists are not allowed to ride two abreast or ride in the middle of the road to avoid car doors.

Similarly, 65 per cent of drivers incorrectly believe cyclists are required to remain in a cycle path, if there is one, and 53 per cent wrongly believe cyclists are not allowed on dual carriageways.

As reported in the Echo, Dorset County Council has invested a total of £5.5 million in cycling networks and education of cyclists over the past six years.

Wayne Sayers, sustainable transport manager for the authority, said: “One thing we find a lot when trying to deal with behavioural issues, with either cyclists or drivers, is that we need to try and deal with both sides of the argument to avoid finger pointing.”

He said there is often confusion between what cyclists are taught to do and what they are entitled to do by law.

"The issue of cycling lanes is an interesting on in Dorset. Many of our existing ‘cycle’ routes are actually shared-use paths and are also used by pedestrians. The paths are provided so those who are less confident on the road, are elderly or leisurely, are able to get around by bike. It is not always appropriate for cyclists who are travelling at speed to use these paths."

Since 2015, three cyclists have been killed on Dorset roads with a further 137 seriously injured and another 469 slight injuries.

Mr Sayers said the multi-million-pound investment has been spent on infrastructure and improving cycling networks and improving the education of all road users.

The council delivers several thousand Bikeability sessions for children every year as well as subsidised adult training to ensure they are equipped with the skills required.

Mr Sayers said: "Some of the issues we see are that vehicle drivers are not aware of what cyclists are being taught. We have had discussions with drivers who were bemoaning cyclists ‘deliberately’ riding in the middle of the road to ‘hold them up’. Once we explained that this was what cyclists are taught to do the confrontational side of things disappeared."

You can see what the Highway Code rules are for cyclists and read tips for drivers when sharing the road with cyclists from the AA