Every road user has a nemesis. Ask a driver about cyclists, and you may hear stories about red lights, lycra and a strange reluctance to use the cycle lane. On the other side of the fence, ask a cyclist about drivers, and brace yourself for close passes, opening car doors and the eternal myth of “road tax”.
It’s a quarrel as British as “milk or water first in tea” (water is the only acceptable answer), and about as old as the internet’s running joke that certain German saloons are sold without indicators.
Recently, however, a new contender may have arrived that both camps can agree to dislike. A YouGov survey of 5,166 British adults, carried out on 23 July 2026, found that 66% think it should not be legal to ride e-scooters on roads. Just 19% think it should.
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