Once again the papers are full of terrible stories of cyclists being injured and according to recent studies the rate of cycle-related injuries is on the rise.

Could the rise be due to the amount of cyclists on our roads increasing or is it something more sinister?

A report from The Times suggested contrary to where we would expect these accidents to happen, such as busy roads with no cycle paths, most are happening on roads where cycle provision had been provided – but within 30 metres from a junction or roundabout which seemed to throw the cyclist into the path of motorised vehicles.

Now I am no cycle injury specialist, but I am stunned to hear the data is proving we are at risk on a cycle lane.

When I read the synopses of various studies into the rates of cycle injuries and their causes I am often surprised to read the study concludes cycle lanes could be contributing to the rise in cycle casualties.

In reality a major issue is confusion, as our road and cycle networks ebb and flow through the UK with no continuity or cohesion.

When I see someone wrapped in Lycra cycling along a fast major A road I take a deep breath and drive past with enough space to park a lorry in. It’s for the best. What if they hit a pot hole and end up in my path, I think. I would categorically squish all the life out them.

As I pass I wonder why the hell they would want to cycle there with fast-paced traffic.

However, the risk is actually quite higher on slower moving roads where there are more cyclists navigating dangerous junctions, not on straight roads where traffic has enough room to manoeuvre around you.

Reports suggest perceived risk – as opposed to real risk – is such a threat that it is significantly affecting support for cycling and support for cycle funding and facilities as well as individual opinions on cycling.

Reducing perceived risk is very tricky: the papers won’t be giving up reporting attention-grabbing headlines where cyclists are injured anytime soon and dangerous cycle hotspots such as inner city junctions will continue to be highlighted with frequency in our quest to increase government cycle provision.

Assisting cyclists to pass other traffic in congested urban centres is flagged up as key to reducing cycling perceived risk but it is interesting to find, in a Danish study, the provision of more cycle tracks at junctions has actually increased the number of accidents by 18 per cent.

The greatest cycle blackspot in Britain in a recent interactive analysis was a London Junction close to the London Olympics site, despite the presence of a Boris special blue cycle lane, part of the “cycle superhighway” network.

This doesn’t mean I will start cycling on A roads instead of cycle lanes.

I’m no Sunday Roadie and I wouldn’t think the rest of the UK would begin this terrifying practice either. But understanding what the actual risks are, instead of the perceived risks of cycling in traffic, is quite interesting and understanding why these perceived risks are a barrier to more people cycling is key for our cycling communities.