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Cyclists could be made to have number plates and follow speed limits under new law
The law could also see cyclists require insurance in order to use their bikes on the road
Cyclists could soon be required to have registration number plates and observe speed limits in a new shake-up of road laws.
This means that, much like other road users, cyclists would be subject to penalty points and fines for speeding or running red lights.
According to reports, a governmental review into the country’s cycling laws is soon set to take place. This review will also look into whether or not cyclists should require insurance to use the roads.
Under current laws, cyclists are not required to have insurance in order to use their bikes on the roads, and therefore are not liable for any damage they may cause.
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Transport secretary Grant Shapps told the Daily Mail that he backs changes to road laws to ensure cyclists are more accountable for their actions.
He said: “Somewhere where cyclists are actually not breaking the law is when they speed, and that cannot be right, so I absolutely propose extending speed limit restrictions to cyclists.
“I don’t want to stop people from getting on their bike, it’s a fantastic way to travel, and we’ve seen a big explosion of cycling during Covid and since.
“But I see no reason why cyclists should break the road laws and be able to get away with it.”
Road safety campaigner and solicitor Nick Freeman supported the law change, with him telling the publication: “This is something that needs to happen for everyone’s safety and Grant Shapps should be congratulated for eventually listening.”
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This comes after Shapps announced a new dangerous driving law that will see cyclists be prosecuted in the same way as drivers in the event of pedestrian deaths.
The law change will close a legal loophole that means cyclists who kill pedestrians can only be jailed for two years.
Shapps said the newly proposed law is needed to ‘impress on cyclists the real harm they can cause when speed is combined with lack of care’.
He added that the law is aimed at the ‘selfish minority’ of cyclists who believe they are ‘immune’ to red lights.
Shapps’s proposal will see the new cycling law be added to the transport bill due to be put before parliament in the autumn.