Dangerous cyclists could face up to 14 years in prison as death by dangerous cycling could become a criminal offense

Cyclists who cause death by dangerous cycling could face up to 14 years in prison after the House of Commons backed a proposal to change the law. MPs voted in favor of an amendment to create three new offences, including “causing death by dangerous cycling”, “causing serious injury by dangerous cycling” and “causing death by careless or reckless cycling”.

The plan, put forward by Sir Iain Duncan Smith (Chingford and Woodford Green), has been backed by the government and will form part of the Criminal Justice Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament as it looks to become law. Former Tory leader Sir Iain told MPs the new law was “urgent”.

He said: “This is not, as it is often accused by people who say something about it, anti-cycling. Rather, it’s about making sure it happens in a safe and reasonable manner.”

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Sir Iain referred to Matthew Briggs, whose wife Kim died aged 44 after a cyclist crashed into her in Old Street, east London. The cyclist, who was riding a bicycle with fixed wheels and no front brakes, was jailed for 18 months after being found guilty at the Old Bailey of “eager or furious driving” using an 1861 law – the Offenses Against the Person Act. .

Sir Iain said: “(Mr Briggs)’s attempt to prosecute a cyclist after his wife was killed in central London in 2016 involved such a complicated and difficult legal process that even the judge who the president later said, since she’s retired, that this made a mockery and therefore needed to be addressed, that the laws don’t cover what happened to his wife and it’s happening to a lot of other people.”

He also said: “I believe the amendment will achieve equal accountability, just as motorists are held accountable for dangerous driving that leads to death, I believe cyclists should face similar consequences for reckless behavior that leads to deaths.”

Transport Secretary Mark Harper, responding to the approval of the amendment, said in a statement: “Most cyclists, like most drivers, are responsible and caring. But it is right that the small minority who recklessly disregard others should face the full weight of the law. to do this.

“Like motorists who break the law, we support this legislation which introduces new dangerous cycling offences. These new measures will help protect cyclists, pedestrians and other law-abiding road users, while ensuring justice.”

Dangerous cycling is already defined in the Road Traffic Act, which includes riding in a manner which “falls well below what would be expected of a competent and attentive cyclist” and which “would be obvious to a competent and attentive cyclist that walking this way. it would be dangerous”.

The proposed law would require cyclists to ensure their vehicle is “equipped and maintained” in a legal manner, which includes keeping brakes in working order. It would apply to incidents involving pedal bikes, electric bikes, electric scooters and electric unicycles.

Causing death or serious injury by dangerous, negligent or reckless driving are already offences, but the vehicle involved must be ‘mechanically propelled’.