Cyclists who mow down pedestrians face jail terms of up to 14 years as part of a Government crackdown on Lycra louts.
Transport minister Jesse Norman will today unveil a major review of the antiquated laws governing cycling in a bid to improve road safety.
The review will include an assessment of whether motoring offences, including causing death by dangerous driving, should be extended to cover cyclists.
The move follows a series of high-profile accidents involving cyclists and pedestrians.
On Monday, cyclist Charlie Alliston was sentenced to 18 months in a young offenders institution following a crash in which mother-of-two Kim Briggs was killed.
On Monday, cyclist Charlie Alliston was sentenced to 18 months in a young offenders institution following a crash in which mother-of-two Kim Briggs was killed
Alliston was riding a fixed wheel bike with no front brake, which is not legal on the roads, when he mowed down Mrs Briggs who was crossing a road in east London. He was cleared of her manslaughter in an earlier hearing, leaving prosecutors to rely on the Victorian-era offence of causing injury by ‘wanton or furious driving’, a law designed for horses and carriages which carries a maximum jail term of two years.
By comparison, causing death by dangerous driving carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in jail.
Downing Street sources said the case exposed a ‘gap in the law’.
The review will also look at whether the lesser offences of causing death or serious injury by careless driving should be extended to cover cyclists.
Ministers have asked for independent legal advice on the issue and will announce a decision by the end of the year. A second phase of the review will then look at wider issues such as penalties for cyclists who ride on the pavement. It will also look at ways to make Britain’s roads safer for responsible cyclists.
Official figures show that in 2015, two pedestrians were killed and 96 seriously injured after being hit by a bicycle. Every year more than 100 cyclists are killed and more than 3,000 seriously injured on British roads. A Government source said the review would ‘consider different ways in which safety can be further improved between cyclists, pedestrians and motorists’.
Alliston was riding an illegal Olympic-style racing bike when he knocked down and killed mother-of-two Kim Briggs
He added: ‘It will consider the rules of the road, public awareness, key safety risks and the guidance and signage for all road users.’
Mr Norman said: ‘It’s great that cycling has become so popular in recent years but we need to make sure that our road safety rules keep pace with this change.
‘We already have strict laws that ensure that drivers who put people’s lives at risk are punished but, given recent cases, it is only right for us to look at whether dangerous cyclists should face the same consequences.
‘This review will help safeguard both Britain’s cyclists and those who share the roads with them.’
The move follows a campaign by Mrs Briggs’s widower Matthew to tighten the law.
Rules must keep pace with change
In a statement outside court this week, he said the case demonstrated the ‘gap in the law when it comes to dealing with death or serious injury by dangerous cycling.’ He added: ‘To have to rely on either manslaughter at one end, or a Victorian law that doesn’t even mention causing death at the other end, tells us there is a gap.
‘The fact that what happened to Kim is rare is not a reason [for there] to be no remedy.’
At Monday’s hearing, Judge Wendy Joseph described Alliston as ‘an accident waiting to happen’ who was motivated by the ‘so-called thrill’ of riding without a front brake. She said Alliston repeatedly showed a callous disregard to other road users and had admitted twice shouting ‘get out of the ******* way’ at Mrs Briggs.
The judge added: ‘If your bicycle had a front wheel brake you could have stopped but on this illegal bike you could not and … by this stage you were not even trying to slow or stop. You expected Mrs Briggs to get out of the way.’
Sentencing him at the Old Bailey, she said: ‘I’ve heard your evidence and I have no doubt that even now you remain obstinately sure of yourself and your own abilities … You were an accident waiting to happen.’
Kim Briggs was killed by Charlie Alliston as she crossed the street. The 20-year-old has been found guilty of ‘wanton and furious driving’ but cleared of manslaughter following a ground-breaking trial