Reckless cyclists face tougher jail sentences
TOUgHER prison sentences are to be brought in to punish dangerous cyclists.
Ministers plan to make causing death by dangerous or careless cycling a crime for the first time.
This would put cyclists under the same legal sanctions as motorists.
The government is looking at a range of options to make the roads safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.
It has already announced plans to update the Highway Code to crack down on drivers who pass cyclists too closely.
An official review, which was published by the Department for Transport in March, concluded there was a ‘persuasive case’ for a new dangerous cycling law.
The inquiry was launched following the case of Charlie Alliston, who was jailed for 18 months last September for knocking down and killing 44year-old Kim Briggs with his bicycle. He had sped through East London with no front brakes.
Alliston, 20, was cleared of manslaughter but found guilty of causing bodily harm by ‘ wanton and furious driving’ – a crime under the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act.
The offence of causing death by dangerous driving under section one of the Road Traffic Act 1988 carries a maximum jail sentence of 14 years. Ministers want to increase the maximum sentence to life in jail.
The offence applies only to ‘mechanically propelled’ vehicles and cyclists are covered by the 1861 law introduced to prosecute drivers of horsedrawn carriages.
It carries a maximum prison sentence of just two years and had not been used against a cyclist until last year. Motorists and cyclists can theoretically be prosecuted for manslaughter.
But the official review, which was led by Laura Thomas, concluded that juries were slow to convict in ‘motor manslaughter’ cases, let alone cases involving cyclists.
The legal expert said the ‘use of a historic offence aimed at carriage driving does not fit with the modern approach to road safety’. She added that it was difficult to define the offence and the maximum jail sentence of two years was too lenient.
Matt Briggs, who is the widower of mother of two Kim from Lewisham in south-east London, has urged ministers to follow the advice of the independent report.
He has applauded the Mail for supporting his campaign for a change in the law.
Campaign group Cycling UK has rejected calls to target reckless cyclists, arguing dangerous drivers are being let off the hook.
Calling for a wider review of the law, it has pointed out that the number of cases involving collisions
‘Juries slow to convict’
between cyclists and pedestrians remained relatively low
In 2016, 448 pedestrians were killed on the roads, but only three of those cases involved bicycles. And in the past ten years 99.4 per cent of all pedestrian deaths involved a motor vehicle.
An official announcement on proposed highway legislation is expected to be made as soon as tomorrow. The proposals will be considered during a 12- week consultation.