Is bicycle bashing in the media putting cyclists at risk?

[classic33]

RAGE AGAINST RIDERS
A favourite pastime of certain sections of the media.

Bike bashing.

"Here’s the ABC’s former Word Watch host Kel Richards filling in for Steve Price on Sydney’s 2GB, and getting into shock jock gear:


KEL RICHARDS: Don’t get me started on bicycle riders ...

KEITH: It’s just stupidity. They need to be run over to teach ‘em a lesson but you can’t.

KEL RICHARDS: I wouldn’t encourage you to do that, Keith. Don’t get into trouble, Keith. Thanks for your call.

— 2GB, Nights, 1st July, 2014"

 

[Turbo Rider]

Ha, ha, probably, there's always some loon who'll act upon crazy suggestions - we're al just a bunch of suggestion digesting automotons, after all. Only lesson I could learn from being run over though is that some people are massive expletives. At least he acknowledges that he can't though. Dumdeedumdeeduuuuum!!

 

[Panter]

Cockroaches on wheels?

I guess there are some parallels.

Come the apocalypse and all the oil is gone, we'll be the only ones left!

 

[format]

I’m sure I remember reading a study which found that following anti-cyclist discourse in the popular media, driver on cyclist aggression rose over a 2/3 week period, before settling back down to normal levels.


Anyone familiar with that, or am I just imagining it?