Cycling safety advocates say licences and registration would not help all that much, and would come at a cost to society.

Representatives of the Amy Gillett Foundation appeared before an ACT legislative committee inquiry this week. They have put forward some options for decreasing the hazards to the most vulnerable road-users, including the right to use the whole lane on roundabouts and forcing drivers to keep safer distances.

On the proposal that cyclists should be licenced and registered to use the road; the foundation's chief executive, former international cyclist Tracey Gaudry said it is unlikely it would help.

“From our research there is insufficient evidence to determine that there are safety benefits to be gained through bicycle registration or licensing,” Ms Gaudry said.

“And indeed if there are any benefits, would the cost of those outweigh economic, health, environment participation losses?”

The Amy Gillett Foundation encourages riders to take out insurance, but says registration should not be necessary.

“Registration is not about paying to use the road,'” Ms Gaudry said.

“It is about third-party insurance. I think there's a commonly-held misperception out there among the driving community that it's about rights.”

The foundation has backed calls for a requirement that motorists maintain a one-metre gap when overtaking cyclists, and give way to allow cyclists to use roundabouts safely.

“We recommend that bike riders are entitled to actually use a full lane when entering, progressing through and exiting a roundabout and be treated as a valid road user in that space,” Ms Gaudry said.

A trial was also proposed that would see cyclists allowed to turn left after stopping and giving way at red traffic lights.