Research carried out by road safety charity Brake has highlighted the considerable appetite that many young people up and down the UK currently have for cycling.

However, it also shows that in many cases, people are being put off from taking to the roads on two wheels as a result of concerns over cyclist safety.

Indeed, with the Tour de France now making its way through the streets of England, what better time could there be to promote cyclist safety up and down the UK?

Brake's research shows that, at present, just one in nine (11 per cent) teens cycle weekly, despite the fact that 42 per cent state they would like to do so more frequently.

The most common reasons for individuals not taking to two wheels more often was safety concerns, with 39 per cent of younger Brits stating a lack of safe routes is hindering their ability to ride, while 32 per cent stated they "feel nervous" about cycling on local roads.

At the same time, 46 per cent of parents contacted as part of the poll said they have worries about their children cycling on the UK's busy roads.

Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive at Brake, commented: "'Le Tour' coming to our home county is a great coup for the region and the UK, and great timing given the wave of enthusiasm for cycling. But our survey shows many young people – our next generation of cycling stars – want to cycle more, but are wary of doing so.

"It remains that fast traffic and inadequate safe routes have a major impact on people's ability to choose and enjoy cycling, and children and young people's ability to live active lifestyles.

"It's a sad state of affairs that our next Bradley Wiggins may never get on a bike because his mum says it's too dangerous."

All drivers therefore have a responsibility to take cyclist safety seriously and this means being fully aware of vulnerable road users at all times.

At-work drivers in particular need to make a conscious effort to be on the lookout for cyclists and other vulnerable pedestrians, as this group will likely take to the roads more often than regular drivers and therefore have a greater likelihood of being involved in an accident if they do not have their wits about them.

Every year, approximately 16,000 cyclists are either killed or seriously injured on the UK's roads, while the overall number of incidents could be far more, as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) states between 60 to 90 per cent of cyclist casualties could be going unreported.

In order to prevent accidents, drivers need to concentrate fully on the road around them – especially in situations where the majority of cycling-related accidents take place, such as when pulling away from junctions.

RoSPA reveals that the majority (75 per cent) of cyclist accidents are reported in urban areas, while 80 per cent of incidents take place during the day and involve male riders.