Standard road lanes are unsafe for cyclists, and they should be either widened or narrowed, new government guidance has said.

In the past, road lanes have typically been 3.65m (12 ft), but analysis has shown that this raises the risk of collisions if cars try to overtake bikes.

A document published last week says that lanes should now be either narrower than 3.25m (10ft 8in) wide or wider than 3.9m (12ft 10in).

This is because in narrow lanes, drivers are more likely to realise they cannot overtake safely, while it is more clear to cyclists that they should ride in the middle of the lane.

In practice, given space constraints in towns and cities, it would be easier for roads to become more narrow – something not all drivers will be on board with, particularly as larger cars and SUVs bec

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