In Townsville, the number one pet peeve of road users was cyclists disobeying road rules such as running red lights, or not wearing helmets.

It follows an intense debate in the pages of the Townsville Bulletin between cyclists and motorists about road rules, and a spate of car versus bicycle crashes in the past month.

Townsville Cycling Club president Dave Restall agreed with the survey.

He said cyclists who ignored road rules topped his own personal list of pet peeves.

''Anyone can buy some lycra, a bike and a helmet and mosey off down the road, and for some stupid reason, think they are oblivious to standard road rules, and run red lights and cut corners and ride the wrong way down one-way roads,'' Mr Restall said.

''The list goes on with the stupid things I see happen: riding with no lights - it's ridiculous.''

He said cyclists needed to adhere to road rules as much as motorists.

''From the club's perspective, we're very stringent about all our members obeying road rules,'' Mr Restall said.

''If you want respect from motorists, you have to show you are a road user and by definition, you have to obey the road rules just as much as a motorist does.''
Townsville District Inspector Brian Connors said by no means was the behaviour restricted to Townsville.

Insp Connors said anyone who bought a bike needed to obey the road rules, particularly if they were riding on the road.

''The bike rider is always going to come off second best in an incident with a motor vehicle,'' Insp Connors said.

''They are probably at significant risk in terms of disobeying road rules, particularly disobeying traffic lights and not wearing helmets, because the chance of head injuries is extremely high.''

The RACQ's last survey of driver behaviour, in 2006, revealed Townsville motorists were frustrated the most with drivers who deliberately sped up when being overtaken.

The pet peeve came in at number two this year, followed by those who turned from the wrong lane, motorists who talked or texted on mobile phones, and those who incorrectly used indicators.

RACQ regional manager Trevor Walch said the results served as a reminder to road users of the impact that reckless behaviour could have on others.

''The Pet Peeves survey not only provides an outlet for the Townsville community to tell us what gets under their skin, but may also help make them more conscious of their own behaviour on the road,'' Mr Walch said.

Townsville Bulletin

''Alarmingly, the top two pet peeves are related directly to respect for other road users, something that both motorists and cyclists on Townsville roads should take on board.''

Mr Walch said the results revealed inconsiderate and unsafe driving practices were significant concerns for Townsville residents.

''We are all very quick to judge others on the road but we need to remember that care, courtesy and consideration are all important attributes for safe and efficient road use,'' he said.

According to Queensland Transport, cyclists must use a bike lane where provided, unless it was impractical to do so. Cyclists must dismount and walk their bikes across a pedestrian crossing; give way to pedestrians on footpaths and shared use paths; and never ride on that part of a separated footpath designed for pedestrians. People could ride bicycles on roads and footpaths unless otherwise signed.