New cycling offences: causing death or serious injury when cycling

[Waterbaby]

Published 12 August 2018
From: Department for Transport

"Consultation description

The consultation invites views on government proposals to introduce new offences of causing death or serious injury while cycling, and other changes to some existing cycling offences.

It recognises the difficulties of trying to create general parity between cyclists and drivers in terms of licensing and insurance, for example, but seeks to more closely align penalties for offences that result in death or serious injury."

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultat ... en-cycling

WB

[bernicarey]

There was some action of Twitter last night from the usual polarised views, i.e. those that believe all cyclists are 100% Angels.

Trouble is there are no reliable statistics for the number of pedestrians who have to leap out of the way of cyclists on paths at ridiculous speeds or other dangerous behaviour.

All the Trolls do is cite incidents such as a cyclist that gets killed by a Truck turning Left, and yes it's terrible and avoidable, but if they had some road sense, they wouldn't get next to a truck in the blind spots.
They wouldn't be cycling with their personal headphones blaring out their personal music instead of paying attention to the road (some not all).

For example, this case: https://road.cc/content/news/99690-man- ... -shoulders

... the court was told that the man seemed to be unsteady on his bike as he used his left hand to steer while his right hand held onto his daughter’s leg, and that neither he nor his child, described as pre-school age, was wearing a cycle helmet.

The man, aged in his 20s, pleaded not guilty and insisted that he did not believe his actions to be dangerous, but his defence was rejected.

Besides the fine imposed by magistrates, the defendant also has to pay a £20 victim surcharge as well as £100 in prosecution costs.
Under section 28 of the Road Traffic Act 1991, "a person is to be regarded as riding dangerously if (and only if) (a) the way he rides falls far below what would be expected of a competent and careful cyclist, and (b) it would be obvious to a competent and careful cyclist that riding in that way would be dangerous."

The offence carries a maximum penalty of a £2,500 fine

What was he fined?
Just £55 plus the additional £120 mentioned.

The vast majority of cyclists are law abiding and sensible people, but there is a minority in towns and cities who cause mayhem by their stupidity and self-righteous attitudes.
So I welcome a consultation of cycling safety and the penalties for not doing so. If only for the existing penalties being used more appropriately.


I was able to take this snap last year as I walked along a local high street....

[Alexis]

After watching a man tell his story on BBC news the other day, this is something that is long overdue. His lawyer had to use a law dating back to the 1800's when it went to court.

A family lost a Wife, Mum etc when she was killed by as cyclist on a pavement.

[AdrianW]

A slight deviation however, many years ago, us kids who rode bicycles to school had to do a cycling proficiency test which was conducted by the local police force.

Do they still do this in the schools?

[bernicarey]

A slight deviation however, many years ago, us kids who rode bicycles to school had to do a cycling proficiency test which was conducted by the local police force.

Do they still do this in the schools?

It's now called Bikeability and has different levels. The basic level is akin to the old School Kid level of the Cycling Proficiency Scheme. Scheme covers England and Wales, with a separate Scots version.
https://bikeability.org.uk/
https://www.cyclinghub.scot/

[Andyblue]

It will certainly be a challenge- the dangerous / careless element is set against well found standards of driving ie falling below or far below the standard expected of a careful and competent driver,
Cycling doesn’t have that base line to work from.
The debate has only referred to causing death & serious injury and not other incidents of careless/ dangerous cycling.
Of course the overwhelming challenge is how, or more correctly, who will do the enforcement with the dwindling number of police on the roads & pathways

[bernicarey]

Of course the overwhelming challenge is how, or more correctly, who will do the enforcement with the dwindling number of police on the roads & pathways

Very true. New Laws are pointless without the resources to enforce them...

[Messy]

I am not sure what the standard of cycling is elsewhere in the UK but I work in Westminster. There are a number of prescribed cycle routes that meander thru and close to Parliament Sq. Indeed the poor guys wiped out by the terror attack today were on one of them.

The cycling on some routes is more than aggressive. Traffic lights and zebras are optional and I see daily columns of lycra nutters, 4 abreast and 300 metres long tearing along as if one large machine

Some are arrogant but all are very very fast. This is not a stroll thru Amsterdam on a sit up bicycle, this is a full on Tour De Commute road race.

Subsequent Mayors have torn up roads to promote cycling and installed cycle lanes on pavements

I welcome anything that will bring about peace and harmony between road users. This won't do that, but does highlight and modernise the cyclists responsibilities

[ssmith65]

I`m with Messy on this one but I think it has more to do with living in the more urbanised areas of this country, especially so in London. I live in the midlands so my experience of London is limited but I always get the impression that everyone is in a rush. One of my friends is a taxi driver for a living who does a lot of airport runs and he tells me that unless you are aggressive when it comes to driving around London you could be waiting at a roundabout for hours if you dont force your way out occationally. In my own experience of London everyone seems to be in a rush all of this filters down to everyone trying to get from A to B as fast as they can.

I am a keen cyclist but I saw a video recently that was taken locally on a single carridge way, two cyclists where riding side by side along a rode while chatting to each other. When one of them was nearly hit by a car. The local community was insensed by the actions of the driver at least until some people pointed out that one of the cyclists could have moved back in and given the driver more room to get past both of the cyclists. I think whatever mode of transport you choose to use it all comes down to having equal respect for all road users whatever mode of transport they are using, at least thats the way I see it.