Traffic monitoring group slammed after telling cyclists not to ride at night

Traffic Wales South faced a furious backlash after advising riders 'not to ride at night'* for their own safety. 

The organisation is the Welsh Government's traffic information service for the motorway and major road network.

Earlier this week they posted an image on social media giving 'five safe tips for being a bicyclist'.

Controversially, it included the advice: "Avoid riding at night".

This sparked an immediate backlash with people expressing their disgust at the apparent 'victim blaming'.

Shortly after, Traffic Wales South deleted the image.

> 6 tips for cycling at night - don't let the dark stop you riding

One man, Richard Lake, commented: "'Avoid riding at night....' that's plain discrimination right there...

"Folk who commute to work do not have that choice at some workplaces. Victim blaming yet again."

Another person described the advice, which also suggested people 'avoid road hazards' as 'obscene'. 

Traffic Wales South has not responded to a request for comment. 

* Update, Monday 24th May: As covered on our live blog, Traffic Wales South has now responded to road.cc, saying: "We intended to convey the message "please avoid riding at night without lights” - this tweet was sent out in error. We have since apologised for the error and have removed the tweet so that it is not shared out of context. We want to encourage everyone to travel on our network safely by sharing traffic information and safety advice which is useful to all road users."