On Wednesday May 15, the government agreed to begin the implementation of new laws surrounding cyclists’ liabilities on the road in a bid to ensure they match the liabilities that vehicle drivers face on the same roads.
Currently, as the law exists, the offence of dangerous cycling is outlined in the Road Traffic Act 1988, which is described as cycling at a level that "falls far below what would be expected of a competent and careful cyclist" and which, “a competent and careful cyclist would be dangerous”. Under this offence, cyclists can be jailed for a mere two years for dangerous cycling, compared to vehicle drivers who could face significantly harsher sentences.
The new changes to the Criminal Justice Bill could make a cyclist guilty of three new offences; ‘causing death by dangerous, careless or inconsiderate cycling, and causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate cycling’. These new offences carry a maximum of 14 years in prison if they are successfully amended into current laws. There are existing laws relating to death or serious injury by dangerous, careless or inconsiderate driving, however these relate to “mechanically propelled” vehicles such as cars, vans and trucks.
The change was suggested by Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP, with the House of Commons hearing a number of statistics relating to cycling-related deaths and injuries between 2018 and 2022 to support the proposals. These included the following:
Just under 2,000 pedestrians collided with a pedal bicycle.
9 of these involved a death due to the collision.
657 of these suffered very serious injuries.
1,292 of these suffered minor injuries.
Additionally, between 2022 and 2023, 331 individuals were admitted to a hospital following a collision with a cyclist, with 11 of these being under the age of 4, and 6 over the age of 90.
Transport secretary Mark Harper has commented on the proposed amendments, which are due to be further debated in the House of Lords, stating "Just like car drivers who flout the law, we are backing this legislation introducing new offences around dangerous cycling. These new measures will help protect law-abiding cyclists, pedestrians and other road users, whilst ensuring justice is done."
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