A survey, released to coincide with the start of the Tour de France, has revealed that 55% of people surveyed believe cycling should be a bigger priority for the government.

The survey of 4,000 people, conducted by cycle retailer Halfords, suggests that more people would be inclined to cycle if there were more cycle lanes and places to park and lock their bikes.

During 2015, there have been more than 50 cycling deaths across the UK, including eight in London. According to the latest statistics from the Department for Transport, there has been a long term rise in the number of cyclists seriously injured on UK roads over the last decade.

Tom Jones, head of policy at Thompsons Solicitors said: “As a keen cyclist, I find the government’s resistance to properly invest in cyclist safety highly frustrating, and the results of this survey indicate a significant proportion of people feel the same.

“Cycling has significant health and environmental benefits, and it’s clear that many people are keen to take advantage of this, but are put off for safety reasons.

“Too often we see the devastating consequences of poor infrastructure and inadequate safety measures and the government must take action to improve cyclist safety for the benefit of existing and prospective cyclists.”