Earlier this week, we woke to the tragic news of the death of a cyclist after a collision with a truck, the third cycling fatality this month in Sydney. Once again, it raises the issue of safety on our roads for cyclists and what we, as a community, can do about it.

I ride my bicycle nearly every day, usually on a 30km circuit of roads near my house in the Blue Mountains. All those hills mean I'm either travelling quite fast or very slow. And therein lies the danger. In the last two years, I've ridden over 12,000km on three continents. Only in Australia do I feel unsafe because of the actions of motorists. Let me cite two recent examples.

While travelling along the Great Western Highway at 35kph in a bike lane, with my lights flashing (yes, even in daylight), a motorist turned across two lanes into my path to reach a side street. The car was so close to hitting me I had to slam on the brakes and veer sharply into the gutter. The driver raised her hand and stopped near the kerb – I assumed to apologise.

No. When I got to her window, she shouted abuse at me. The tirade included the hoary cliche that when I get registration, she'll consider me worthy of avoiding. This charming motorist was going to run me down because I didn't have bike registration, which of course does not exist in Australia.

The second incident came on a two-lane road near Wentworth Falls Lake. With no traffic about in the middle of the day, a ute driven by a young man deliberately held its lane and went frighteningly close to me as he passed. He had both lanes to give me space, but instead tried to see how close he could go to the stupid cyclist.

My response to incidents like this is to ride my bicycle much more defensively than I drive my car. Every time I see a four-wheel-drive or a ute, I expect them to do the unexpected. I seek out eye-contact with oncoming motorists to see if they plan to turn across my path without warning. I keep away from parked cars, fearing I'll be "doored". No matter what speed I ride, my hands are poised above my brakes.

In short, what should be a pleasurable afternoon cycle becomes a life-threatening obstacle course.

And, yes, I've heard all the arguments about cyclists disobeying the road rules. This response seems to imply that because of the actions of a few, then all cyclists are fair-game to be run down. But some pedestrians and motorists also disobey rules. Should we deliberately veer towards jay-walkers? Who’s up for a citizen’s arrest the next time we see a black BMW X5 make an illegal u-turn at traffic lights?

As a cyclist, I obey the road rules. I stop at traffic lights, I keep to the left, I signal my intentions. I ride on the road, not the footpath. But all to no avail.

I have a friend, a person I regard as sensible in most matters, who told me that the first time he passes a cyclist he will give them lots of space. But, if he should then be stopped at a traffic light and the cyclist catches up and passes him on the inside, when he next has to overtake the bike he will hold his line. In short, all bets are off. This is despite the road rules clearly stating that cyclists are exempt from not being allowed to pass on the left. It is legal. But, in the car-eat-bike world of Sydney motoring, it seems if you pass my friend, he'll threaten you with two tonnes of vehicle.

While on a cycling holiday last year along the highways and backroads of Thailand, I was afforded lots of space. Throughout Europe, I'm not only given space by motorists, but am frequently offered the luxury of a dedicated cycle path. On small, one lane back roads, I've had trucks patiently wait for a section of road where it's safe to overtake. So what can Australia do to make the road safe for cyclists?

Perhaps we should start with our infrastructure. A dedicated network of cycle paths will offer commuters an alternative to driving or public transport. Every cyclist is one less car in a traffic jam. It hardly needs saying that a large percentage of cyclists also own cars – they already pay registration for the roads they're using.

There also needs to be a wide-ranging education campaign through the media – and don't get me started on how the media portray cyclists. Motorists need to be made aware of the rights of cyclists and cyclists need to be taught how to conduct themselves while riding.

We need to have a more vigorous debate in the community on the role that cycling can play in relieving some of the congestion on our roads, and how it can perhaps lead to a healthier community. But please, can this debate occur without every cyclist having to carry the burden of guilt for the hipster on a fixie you saw run a red light yesterday.

Meanwhile, I'll keep cycling in my beloved Blue Mountains, enjoying the exhilaration of the downhill stretch near Leura Cascades, the expansive views of the Three Sisters as I grind up Cliff Drive, always with ears and eyes open for the rogue motorist. Maybe one day I'll attach the number plates of my car to my bicycle, so that charming motorist of a few weeks ago will consider driving around me, not over the top of me.