UPDATE: An elderly man will appear in court at a later date after a Perth cyclist claims he was stabbed during a confrontation over the controversial one-metre passing rule.

The cyclist, 52, who did not want to be named for fear of retribution, was riding in Kings Park with his wife on Friday morning when a vehicle passed him at a close distance.

He rode alongside the car and told the driver he had overtaken unsafely. The man drove off.

Minutes later, he spotted the vehicle in the Zamia Cafe carpark and rode up to the driver to speak to him.

“He came out of the car with a knife and hit me on my chest on the left-hand side,” the cyclist claimed.

“I stepped back and told my wife to call the police.”

He sustained minor injuries in the incident but knows it could have been far worse.

Police say 76-year-old man attended Warwick Police Station on Monday and was advised he would be charged by summons in relation to the assault of the cyclist.

The man will also be fined in relation to a traffic matter.

The cyclist said the incident taught him how quickly an event could escalate and cyclists should be aware of the risks associated with confronting drivers.

The man, who has been cycling in Perth for about six years, said the incident shocked him.

“I thought he was going to say sorry, but when I approached him he stormed out of his car,” he said.

Westcycle chief executive Matt Fulton said the incident showed the tension between some drivers and cyclists had intensified.

“There is a small percentage of people who have let their emotions boil over and technology is now enabling this to be captured and used as evidence,” he said.

“People should consider the consequences of their actions towards bike riders before they do something stupid.”

Mr Fulton raised concerns about the attitude towards abusing bicycle riders.

“I’m fearful that we appear to be becoming more tolerant of the abuse towards cyclists,” he said.

“This has to end immediately before it reaches crisis point.

“We need the public to reject it as acceptable behaviour, stop turning a blind eye and start calling people out on incidences that may result in serious consequences.

“We can’t accept this as being OK.”

Under the new law, WA motorists must leave a gap of one metre between their vehicle and a cyclist.