The Government has agreed to introduce new laws so cyclists who kill or seriously injure because of dangerous cycling, or who kill through careless cycling, face the same penalties as drivers and motorcyclists who do so.
“Most cyclists, like most drivers, are responsible and considerate. But it’s only right that the tiny minority who recklessly disregard others face the full weight of the law for doing so. “Just like car drivers who flout the law, we are backing this legislation introducing new offences around dangerous cycling. These new measures will help protect law-abiding cyclists, pedestrians and other road users, whilst ensuring justice is done. “I would like to thank Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP for bringing forward this amendment, and to all the campaigners who have tirelessly highlighted this issue – this is in recognition of their efforts in particular.”
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About time, especially due to some electric bicycles essentially being motorbikes. Hopefully they change the motorbike licensing soon, so that L platers nees to do their theory test before getting on the road.
Only illegal e-bikes are like motorbikes.
Legal ebikes have always been limited to pedal assist only and won’t assist you if your speed is faster than 15mph.
An e-bike is either legally a bicycle or not. The regulations are clearly laid out
There is no “essentially being motorbikes” at all. E-bikes that do not meet the regulations for bicycles are Electric Motorcycles, and the rider needs a driving licence, insurance and helmet, whilst the vehicle needs to carry number plates.
Sure, make sure you apply for the V5C
So if you murder someone with a car you might get your license suspended.
Will cyclists get suspended licenses too?!?
Indeed. Really is bizarre to talk about raising the penalty for cyclists to the same as it is for drivers, when drivers can kill several people, get slapped on the wrist, fined £100 and be back driving again in a year. If they are amended the driving offences bill, you would think government time would be better spent dealing with that and making our roads safer.
That said, UK cities are full of foreign Deliveroo drivers who think it’s acceptable to drive high speed e-bikes and scooters on the pavement. That does need dealing with, so fair play if that’s the target of the legislation. Don’t think the Deliveroo drivers will give a hoot though.
No, I think they just suspend their lyrcra
Yes you can buy more at a cheaper rate. You love it
Should be suspend THEM by their lycra…..
Unfortunately you’ll first have to surgically remove them from the saddle as most don’t seem capable of ever getting off the bike regardless of where they are.
Can they actually remove those buttock sucking, bum squeezing shorts?
About time these selfish B’stards on 2 wheels are penalised.
Let’s hope plod go for them, rather than keep picking on
Motorists.
You can usually find them cycling on Island Roads side by side holding
each others hands.
You seem to miss the point of the piece. Dangerous cyclists to receive same treatment as dangerous motorists. Suggesting to me that cyclists are not the stand alone villains. When you say Police need to stop picking on motorists, they do so far a reason. Motorists are not blame free. This is government action is to bring punishment in line with motorists who are doing this too.
So stop your bleating. And realise that there isn’t only one group who are the problem.
“rather than keep picking on Motorists.”
Do you mean stop catching bad and dangerous motorists that are breaking the law?
You sound like the kind for person that drives at cyclists using your car as a weapon forcing them into the curb despite the parked vehicles being on your side of the road and required by law to give way.
Yeah too right! Stop pulling people over for number plates and loud exhaust! Definitely fine the road lice for riding twos up holding everyone up when there is a cycle path/lane less then 100 yards away!
They should also be made to have yellow flashing lights on their helmets to indicate slow moving vehicles.
14 years after the tories got in, they think this will win a general election hahahahaha
maybe some road tax might help
Why? Car drivers pay car tax calculated on how much pollution they produce, bicycles don’t produce pollution.
Bicycles don’t, but their riders do, huffing and puffing around.
You knob. So do you when you talk
Indirectly they do, and a lot of it.
A line of 10-20 vehicles, all in 2nd gear, behind one cyclist who won’t pull over to let anyone past? How much pollution is that causing over the course of a mile or two? You’re right that the cyclist isn’t producing the pollution, but he is causing it.
Unfortunately, it seems that there’s a mentality amongst many cyclists (mostly the lycra kind) that prevents them from using the roads in a sensible, courteous manner.
Good news. Too many lycra-covered-in-advertising clad idiots on the road who think that they can do what they like once they get on their bike. They should be made to buy comprehensive insurance too. The problem is a few of them think that every ride is the Tour d’ France.
Great! Thats the awful ranndonnee gone hopefully!
a vast majority this year rode like twats,hogging whole roads,taking selfieswhile riding,and generally being idiots,totally ignoring the tailbacks being caused,accidents waiting to happen!
Good idea, but how would it work, and how would you prove it after all a bicycle isn’t exactly a car is it
Like all other laws in existence, they won’t be enforced, especially here on the island.
I object to the cyclists, who try and knock you over, on a foot path. No bells, no shouted warning – you’re meant to guess, that you have to get out of the way. Pedestrians have the right of way on foot paths – not idiotic cyclists!
However, having said that, I do believe that cycling is a great thing to do, as long as you respect other people and are not arrogant, as so many of them are!
Cyclists shouldn’t even be on a footpath.
I was knocked over by one coming up behind me without warning when on a footpath and all I heard was a mouthfull of abuse from the lycra when a walker behind me saw what happened and shouted for him to stop…
Of course, the entitled cyclist just carried on his merry way.. yes, I reported it to the police but it was a waste of time as my description of ” tosser in lycra” could only narrow it down to a few thousand…
They should certainly be made to have proper bells.I’m fed up with walking along footpaths and not knowing about them behind until they’re on top of you.
But, how do you enforce it?
A cyclist blithely sails through a red light, or up a one-way street in the wrong direction and causes an accident, but carries on his merry way. No registration plate to track him, no chance of finding him.
Unless all bikes are registered, and that, quite obviously, is never going to happen, then it’s a non-starter.
I have no idea what the answer to this is, but somehow cyclists must be forced to obey the same traffic rules as other road users and face the same consequences for their actions.
When I was a kid, I had my brother’s bike. Cycling was fun and good to be out in the air. One friend was from a better off family and had a lovely new bike with gears and everything. He also had something connected to his front wheel that told him how many miles he had done. Why is it not possible for all bikes to have a speedometer? I had an altercation with an arse in the air idiot in Walthamstow last year trying to pass me when I was doing the 20mph in a 20mph limit. I asked him what speed he wanted to do and his reply was up yours I will do what I like! Exactly that…up yours I will do what I like!
And they wonder why people dislike them?Maybe all bikes could have something like a recording speedometer that could be checked?
You could get the same reply from another motorist. As for having a mandatory speedometer, what purpose would that serve? Firstly they have to be calibrated, secondly, speed limits apply to motorised vehicles. They don’t apply to bicycles that are human powered. As for this legislation, its playing to ‘that gallery’. More people die from tripping on the pavement than being killed by bikes. Yes some cyclists behave like arses but most are ok. If you cycle dangerously today you can be charged with furious cycling which will get you 2 years inside. More importantly courts have a general power which allows any sentence to be applied. Anyway the jails are full. So what next.
Hopefully includes scooters, both electric and push along!.
This is long overdue. riding on pavements, wrong way down a one way street, shouting at people to get out of the way, these lycra clad idiots are always so damn rude, they even use your car at junctions to have a lean on your wing mirror. Be a damn good idea for these idiots to have a reg plate too, and have to pay insurance, car drivers do.
I second that about time! They should also have to take out a small fee liability insurance or cycle/bike insurance….
Jordan wasted millions on Ryde Interchange, yet cyclists DO NOT use the new
waste of money cycle lanes, they still cycle in the road.
IW Council are out of touch!