An expert has told GB News that new laws to hold cyclists to account for causing serious accidents should focus on the safety of all road users to improve conditions for everyone.
Reports state that the Home Office and the Department for Transport have lodged a series of key changes to the Crime and Policing Bill to introduce harsher sentences for dangerous cyclists.
It is said that these updates will aim to amend "archaic" and "inadequate" laws from the Victorian era and modernise road rules.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander aims to close a legal loophole which meant cyclists who killed or seriously injured pedestrians would be charged under a law intended for horse-drawn carriages from 1861.
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New laws could see cyclists prosecuted for dangerous riding on roads
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Josh Hughes, Partner in the Complex Injury Team at Bolt Burdon Kemp, told GB News that it was "difficult to sustain" an argument against the proposed legislative changes.
He said: "Where reckless cycling occurs, leading to death or serious injury, that person should not be treated unduly favourably by virtue of outdated laws.
"We are, however, talking about a tiny fraction of road traffic offences in comparison to conventional collisions between motorised vehicles and pedestrians where greater focus ought to lie.
"It remains the case that the overwhelming risk to vulnerable road users, as demonstrated by the UK’s road safety statistics, are speeding motorised vehicles."
Sir Iain Duncan Smith has been one of the early supporters of stronger rules for dangerous cyclists
GB NEWS
One of the most fervent supporters of law changes prior to last year's general election was Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith.
The MP for Chingford and Woodford Green aimed to change laws to make cyclists legally responsible for dangerous or reckless behaviour as part of the Criminal Justice Bill.
The 71-year-old began campaigning for law changes alongside Matthew Briggs, whose wife was killed after a collision with a cyclist in London in 2016.
He has called for new laws to prosecute cyclists found to "cause death by dangerous cycling", as well as "causing serious injury by dangerous cycling" and "causing death by careless or inconsiderate cycling".
At present, someone who is cycling in a dangerous or reckless manner would usually only be jailed for a maximum of two years, under the charge of "wanton and furious" riding.
Cyclists have come under the microscope in recent years, especially with the rollout of more rental electric bikes, which have been under scrutiny for an increase in anti-social behaviour.
Hughes told GB News that the impact of the proposals should not be overstated, since victims deserve to receive justice, even if it only applies in a small number of cases.
He added that harsher sentences for dangerous or reckless cycling are "unlikely to improve road safety in a meaningful way" unless they are paired with other measures.
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PAThe expert said the new laws could work alongside designated cycle lanes, more pedestrian crossings and improved public awareness.
A DfT spokesperson said: “Dangerous cycling is completely unacceptable, and the safety of our roads is a key priority for this Government.
“The Government is proposing new offences and penalties for dangerous cycling, updating legislation that is over 160 years old, to ensure that the tiny minority who recklessly disregard others face the full force of the law.
“These are being brought forward as part of the Crime and Policing Bill, and will be debated in due course.”
