Cyclists who kill could face life sentence in proposed law change

Cyclists who kill pedestrians by acting dangerously on the road could face life imprisonment under a proposed change to the law.

Currently, cycling offenders can be imprisoned for no more than two years under an 1861 law originally intended for drivers of horse-drawn carriages.

A government amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill – which is currently going through Parliament – would see cycling offences brought in line with driving offences, the Department for Transport (DfT) said.

The changes would also mean serious injury caused by dangerous cycling – or death by careless or inconsiderate cycling – could incur punishments of five years in jail, fines, or both.

A serious injury caused by careless or inconsiderate cycling would result in a two-year sentence, a fine or both under the proposed changes.

The government estimates that of 1,600 deaths on UK roads last year, four were caused by cyclists.

A DfT spokesperson said updating the more than 160-year-old legislation would “ensure that the tiny minority who recklessly disregard others face the full force of the law”.

They added: “Dangerous cycling is completely unacceptable, and the safety of our roads is a key priority for this government.”

The amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill – which is currently at the committee stage – will be debated by Parliament in “due course”, the spokesperson said.

Under the previous government, Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith campaigned to amend another bill – the Criminal Justice Bill – to hold cyclists accountable for reckless behaviour.

He cited campaigning by Matthew Briggs, whose wife, Kim, died from head injuries after a collision with a cyclist in 2016.

Charlie Alliston – who was riding a fixed-gear bike with no front brakes – was cleared of manslaughter and found guilty of causing bodily harm by “wanton or furious driving”.

Mr Briggs told the BBC that he felt his years of campaigning was on the “edge of a breakthrough”, but that he would remain “cautiously optimistic” until the amendment became law.

“I feel delight not just for me, but the families of people who have died since Kim died, who have all kept the up pressure, politely, consistently, calmly… to extract something good out of something tragic,” he said on Friday.

He added that it was “incomprehensible” cycling was “literally lawless” under “old-fashioned” measures not designed for modern road usage.

A government source close to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told the BBC that changing the law “at the first opportunity” was “definitely personal” to her as she was Mr Briggs’ MP when his wife was killed.

Mr Briggs said Alexander had shown “enormous personal kindness” over the years, and “courage and commitment” in going up against a “strong” cycling lobby to push for the change.

Duncan Dollimore, head of campaigns at Cycling UK said while the charity supports “a proportionate and evidence-based approach” to updating the law, “it’s crucial that any legislative changes do not discourage people from cycling, particularly at a time when promoting active and sustainable travel is vital for our health, environment, and economy”.

He added that these offences would only apply to “a tiny fraction” of cyclists, with fatalities from cycling collisions being “exceptionally rare”.