MP may face prosecution over bike incident
Cycling groups and MPs have called for Britain’s Transport Secretary Chris Grayling to be investigated for knocking over a passing cyclist in Westminster when he opened the door of his ministerial car in traffic.
A cycling organisation has offered the cyclist legal assistance, while MPs on the all-party parliamentary cycling group have called on Prime Minister Theresa May and Metropolitan Police to investigate.
Although Grayling stopped to apologise and check on the injured man, he left about 90 seconds after the incident, without leaving his details.
The cyclist, Jaiqi Liu, was left dazed and injured, with a damaged bike and unaware of the identity of Grayling or the other ministers and aides in the car.
Cycling UK said ‘‘dooring’’ was a criminal offence and that if police did not prosecute, it was prepared to use its cyclists’ defence fund to assist Liu in considering a possible case against Grayling.
However, Liu has since said he does not wish to discuss the incident further.
Cycling UK recently lobbied the government to review the ‘‘dooring’’ law, believing adequately enforced.
‘‘Currently, it’s treated as a minor offence with a maximum £1000 fine, despite the fact that people have been killed and seriously injured by car dooring,’’ said Duncan Dollimore, the charity’s senior road safety and legal campaigns officer.
In one case where a cyclist was killed, a prosecution was brought for manslaughter, although no conviction was secured.
Video footage obtained by The Guardian shows Grayling knocking Liu off his bike on October 12. The cyclist reported the incident to police without knowing who the it is not minister was. Liu said he was in shock and became aware of the pain later, and was angered by the minister accusing him of cycling too fast and being at fault.
The 35-year-old, a regular cyclist in London who has not had an accident before or since, said he suffered pain to his back, legs and head, and had to have his damaged bike repaired.
Neither Grayling nor the driver stayed to provide their details to him.
Details of the crash emerged after another cyclist who had a camera on his bike later recognised Grayling in a news interview.