An expert has told GB News that more needs to be done to ensure all road users are safe amid calls to introduce tougher sentences for dangerous cyclists.
Proposals have been put forward to deal with cyclists who seriously injure or kill people with dangerous or reckless riding to face harsher punishments, including the potential of life in prison.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is aiming to close a legal loophole originally intended for riders of horse-drawn carriages from 1861, which has been described as "archaic" and "inadequate".
Josh Hughes, Partner in the Complex Injury Team at Bolt Burdon Kemp, considered whether introducing such rules would be appropriate for road users, or whether alternative means should be considered first.
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Tougher punishments could see cyclists who ride recklessly hit with a life sentence
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Speaking to GB News, he said: "It is reasonable to highlight why there can be good reason for our law to distinguish between offending cyclists over, say, a reckless driver of an HGV or car.
"The latter is responsible for a vehicle that is far more likely to cause injury or death, as is now recognised by our Highway Code.
"Neither are cyclists required to undertake training, testing or licensing and as such include children. For that reason, criminal sentencing has to make a distinction."
The Highway Code update from 2022 outlined a new "hierarchy of road users", which places road users most at risk in the event of a collision at the top of the pyramid.
The Highway Code was updated in 2022 to include protections for the most vulnerable road users
PACyclists were also given updated guidance about positioning themselves in the centre of a lane on quiet roads, in slower-moving traffic and at the approach to junctions on road narrowings.
According to data from the Department for Transport, more than 30 pedestrians have been killed by cyclists speeding or riding recklessly since 2013.
The 1861 law acted as a loophole as cyclists who cause death or serious injury on the roads would avoid prosecution, with the Government now considering adding measures to the Crime and Policing Bill.
Hughes continued, saying: "It is certainly the case that the emergence of electrically powered scooters and bikes presents a higher degree of danger to pedestrians than pedal bikes.
"For that reason, we continue to campaign for the Government to enact regulation to deal with, once and for all, the grey area left by outdated motor legislation and new forms of modern transport."
The Department for Transport has previously outlined plans to launch the first Road Safety Strategy in over a decade, which is expected to be published this year.
Previous Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said the Government, including the DfT and other key players, would look to launch new guidance soon.
A spokesperson for the Department for Transport described dangerous cycling as "completely unacceptable", adding that safety was a "key priority" for Labour.
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The expert highlighted that the prevalence of electric scooters and bikes could make roads more dangerous
PAThey added: "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."
