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Transport Secretary Grant Shapps calls for ‘death by dangerous cycling’ law

07 September 2022

It seems that for many, cycling is an attractive option for short journeys.

Recent research from GoCompare found the average person in England, Scotland and Wales could save £106.60 per month by cycling, a figure which could increase given the currently rising cost of fuel and reduce their carbon output by 5kg per day.

This combined with the fact that 71 per cent of car journeys made in the UK are less than five miles in distance, making cycling a viable alternative.

According to Sky News, new figures show that during the five months to the end of July, there was a 47 per cent rise of cycling on weekdays and a 27 per cent rise during weekends compared with the same period in 2021.

Whilst cycling is being encouraged widely throughout the UK, a legal loophole which means that cyclists who kill pedestrians serve just two years in jail.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps proposes to create a ‘death by dangerous cycling law’, which could be added to the Transport Bill due to be put before parliament in this autumn, to close the loophole and bring the penalties for cyclists who kill pedestrians in line with those for drivers. 

Writing in the Daily Mail, Mr Shapps said the law is needed "to impress on cyclists the real harm they can cause when speed is combined with lack of care.

"A selfish minority of cyclists appear to believe that they are somehow immune to red lights.

"We need to crack down on this disregard for road safety. Relatives of victims have waited too long for this straightforward measure.”

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