Oh heavens - it s not a battle, but simply a matter of wanting people to be safe. No way would I ride a bike round here - it is a suicidal act. The simple fact is that accidents happen and when these happen between a cyclist and a motorist, the greater size and weight of the car/van/lorry means that the cyclist is in danger. There is no way that all accidents can be prevented, and it does not mean that motorists hate cyclists, but simply that the combination is fraught with hazard.
Of course there are crass idiotic motorists who speed; but equally there are crass idiotic cyclists who have a point to make by riding/ wobbling in wide bunches and risk their lives doing so. Mutual consideration is the stuff of an ideal world, however laudable. In the meantime cyclists are at risk - I worked for a head injury service for many years, so speak from experience.
There are many places round here where there are narrow roads with hills and blind bends and meeting a cyclist at the top of a hill, or round a bend, is a scary business, especially if they are wobbling about the road.
And I do get annoyed when a cyclist thinks that glancing behind equals a signal that they are about to turn right.
I always hang back when I meet a cyclist - but that is no help to safety as the motorists behind me get irritated and then overtake me plus the cyclists, putting more people at risk.
Cyclists in single file with high viz gear, helmets and consideration for other road users are not a problem.....except for the state of the roads (I live in pothole country!). In an ideal world these potholes would be filled - but we are not in an ideal world, and this issue is not about principles but simply about safety.
As long as there are inconsiderate cyclists, inconsiderate motorists and poor road surfaces, cyclists will be at risk. No-one has a magic wand to right these wrongs.
What is for dinner today MK II