Should cyclists have to abide by the same rules as drivers?

“It’s frustrating to see a new offence for death by dangerous cycling added to the statute book in isolation when it is merely mirroring ineffective driving offences,” Mallinder continued. 

The Mail’s Melissa Kite was in favour of the proposals. “Of course, most cyclists are law-abiding and just want to get safely from A to B”, she wrote. But, she added, “a small number of dangerous cyclists risk tainting the name of the majority and should be kept in check”.

According to Kite, the “political power of the cyclist lobby is now such that other road users are made to bow down before it”, and “in many cases”, cyclists “think they can get away with anything”. While Shapps’s plans “are a good start”, she continued, political leaders “must stand up more firmly against the cycling lobby” and “make cyclists accountable”. 

Speaking to Road.cc back in January, Cycling UK’s head of campaigns, Duncan Dollimore, said that introducing cycling offences “in isolation” would “simply be a sticking plaster on a broken system, because our current careless and dangerous driving offences aren’t fit for purpose”.  

What could happen next?

The current proposal would see the death by dangerous cycling offence added to the Transport Bill which is set to be put before Parliament in the autumn, Metro reported.

However, Shapps may not still be in post as Transport Secretary by the time the Bill is read, if Boris Johnson’s successor opts to reshuffle their cabinet when they take power in September. If that is the case, the minister “would press any successor to take on the review”, said The Telegraph.

The review is also likely to “raise questions about drink-drive limits and whether an age cap would be needed to stop children being subject to the strict rules”, said Joe.co.uk.

Article source: https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/transport/957677/should-cyclists-follow-same-rules-as-drivers