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news
Cyclist in London Trek road bike orange backpack and winter clothing - copyright Simon MacMichaelHouse of Lords to debate cycling "safety issues"
A debate on cycling "safety issues" will be held in the House of Lords when Parliament returns from its summer break next month.
The full title of the debate scheduled for Thursday 12 September is 'Safety and regulation issues involved in the use of pedal cycles on the road network' and is an updated version of a debate initially meant to have taken place in June, but that was cancelled due to the dissolution of Parliament ahead of the general election.
Former Metropolitan Police head Lord Hogan-Howe had wished to "ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that pedal cyclists abide by the criminal law and are held accountable where they breach that law", the rescheduled September debate similarly to discuss "safety and regulation issues" around cyclists using "the road network".
Last November, Lord Hogan-Howe, a crossbench peer in the House of Lords, had claimed that "dangerous" cyclists are "entirely unaccountable" and should have number plates. The former Met Police chief is one of 12 peers who have so far expressed a desire to speak at the debate, Green Party member and pro-cycling advocate Jenny Jones also listed.
The Lords debate also follows the widely reported wish of the previous Conservative government to pass "dangerous cycling" laws, legislation that was put on hold by the election. The Labour Party also said during the campaign that it "will change the law to protect people from dangerous cycling" if it was in government next, although this statement was not seen in the party's manifesto or King's Speech, not that its omission from headline policy precludes future legislation.
The topic of dangerous cycling attracted widespread national print and broadcast media coverage in May, during the aftermath of a coroner's inquest being told that no charges would be brought against a cyclist who was riding laps of London's Regent's Park when he crashed into a pensioner, causing her fatal injuries.
The cyclist, Brian Fitzgerald, was riding in a group at a speed of between 25mph and 29mph at the time of the fatal crash, which led to the death of 81-year-old Hilda Griffiths. The speed limit in the park is 20mph, but the Metropolitan Police confirmed that it does not apply to people riding bicycles (as is the case throughout the country), and that the case had been closed because there was "insufficient evidence for a real prospect of conviction".
In the weeks after the coroner's inquest, former Conservative leader Duncan Smith proposed the introduction of a specific offence of "causing death by dangerous, careless, or inconsiderate cycling, and causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate cycling", to ensure people on bikes "face the same penalties as drivers and motorcyclists" responsible for the death of pedestrians.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper backed the legislation and it looked as thought it would be passed, Labour offering no opposition to the proposal. However, when Rishi Sunak called a general election and Parliament was dissolved, it meant there was not sufficient time for the amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill to be passed.
During the subsequent campaign a Labour spokesperson confirmed such legislation would be resumed post-election: "Labour will change the law to protect people from dangerous cycling, and we commend the families for their relentless campaigning. The Criminal Justice Bill was meant to be a flagship bill for his government, but Rishi Sunak walked away from his promises to these families the moment it suited him. It's understandable that the families of victims will feel let down."
Dan is the road.cc news editor and joined in 2020 having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express, and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Dan has been at road.cc for four years and mainly writes news and tech articles as well as the occasional feature. He has hopefully kept you entertained on the live blog too.
Never fast enough to take things on the bike too seriously, when he's not working you'll find him exploring the south of England by two wheels at a leisurely weekend pace, or enjoying his favourite Scottish roads when visiting family. Sometimes he'll even load up the bags and ride up the whole way, he's a bit strange like that.
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49 comments
This turned up on my wife's fb feed...:
Hogan-Howe is an oaf devoid of contact with reality; this will be an abuse-fest.
Last time (23 May 2024) it was a question about "pedal cycles requiring insurance".
https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2024-05-23/debates/C9514827-A9B1-497...
The twat does not even know that a large majority of pedal cyclists already have insurance.
Expect Lords Birt (registration / numberplates) & Winston, and Baroness McIntosh of Pickering to join the lynch mob.
Labour should do what they say they are going to do and use experts. Any debate should lean heavily on data not opinion. Perhaps get Chris Boardman involved. I would gladly sit in the HoLs and paddle anyone spouting nonsense.
I spend 5 days a week, 8 hours a day driving around Cities, Towns and rural areas, vehicles drivers habitually break speed limits, cut across junctions injuring or even killing motorcyclists and cyclists in the process, go through red lights and big junctions as if it's normal behaviour, again, causing injuries on a regular basis. The Government should increase penalties and fines, increasing for second and third offenses. For repeat offenders they should be made to pay for and take an advanced driving test before they get their driving license back. And then tackle the naughty cyclist who goes through a red light, hitting a Range Rover head on and killing a family of four, that happens too often, doesn't it ?! What is wrong with successive Governments that they can't get on top of drivers attitudes on the road that they're happy with 300 innocent children die every year on our roads because self entitled people think they have the God given right to do what they like in their vehicles and then somehow deflect it onto cyclists. What is wrong with Society's thinking. Come on Government, get on top of this !!!
What is wrong with successive governments? Motornormativity. Driving is now such an entitlement in our societies that it is practically a right, enshrined in folklore, to be defended to the death, literally: other people's deaths admittedly, but that's other people, so who cares?
Governments want to get elected, and that is much more important than the lives of tens of thousands of people, mostly plebs, who are either killed or have their lives irreversibly changed. Good that at least one place is aiming for zero road deaths but it needs to be nationwide, and made an actual priority, not just announced as one.
Came across this today:
"Finch, of Flavius Way, Colchester, admitted driving a motor vehicle without a licence, using a fraudulent number plate, failing to stop after an accident, and driving without insurance. "
Only got 9 points and because he did a runner and the medics couldn't find a body on the A12, they called in an air ambulance incase they found him. That alone should be a ban and having to pay the costs of the air ambulance.
I don't see how 9 points is going to make any difference - that should clearly have been a prison sentence.
Only 100 prison places left (he was on a m/c too which I omitted to state earlier).
It was "out of character" because fitting false plates is something spontaneous.
They could make some more room by letting out the political prisoners (i.e. those JSO protestors imprisoned for conducting a peaceful protest)
But they committed the heinous crime of challenging authority with good reason, which they weren't allowed to present in court. People who break the law by accidentally fitting false plates and endangering the lives of other plebs just need a bit of understanding and empathy.
Maybe they should start imprisoning Labour MPs as they're now not issuing North Sea oil licences and thus supporting exactly what the protestors were trying to achieve.
Excellent news. I'm sure the fine fellows in the Lords must be using this tactic of demonstrating how dangerous bicycles are to drivers of SUVs and trucks, in order to push for more and better segregated cycle lanes. That must be it.
"Former Metropolitan Police head Lord Hogan-Howe had wished to "ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that pedal cyclists abide by the criminal law and are held accountable where they breach that law " "
Asking the Government?
How about the former Metropolitan Police head asks the current Metropolitan Police head why the Police aren't upholding the Law on the highway? Or he could just save time, look in the mirror and get a similar, clueless response.
How about the former Metropolitan Police head asks the current Metropolitan Police head why the Police aren't upholding the Law on the highway?
The answer is simple, although you won't hear it from police chiefs because they rather like the present situation: which is that it's the police who make the law in this country because they're allowed to choose to whom they apply their chosen laws. If the offenders are people they like, then the laws are ignored (I will, on this occasion, spare you the usual list of videos of RLJs and phone using drivers, vehicles without MOTs/ VED for years- all ignored by Lancashire Constabulary) but if it's people they don't like (cyclists, people wasting police time by reporting road traffic offences with perfect video) then it's the full 'vigour of the law'.
Hope you've all got your Bingo cards ready.
Alas - the cyclingfallacies bingo card generator seems to be broken...
I've been nearly killed by hoards of dangerous cyclists who swarm these so-called 'Shared Paths'. None of them have a driving licence or pay road tax. Some of my best friends are cyclists so I know much about these machines, their razor blade saddles and fibreglass frames. Many of the Lycra louts speed through towns at 40mph or more, which a friend saw once. I can't see the point of spending £millions on cycle lanes when no one uses them. I find them more useful to park my Range Rover in these lanes. Who do they think they are, Touring du France riders? Good job knowledgable House of Lords is holding a mass debate over these dangerous cyclists....whatever next, banning drivers from parking on pavements? Pah!
Correction, 52mph
Thank you for your wise words and eloquent comments m' Lord....
I heard someone say once, "if I hadn't have hit the cyclist, I would have kerbed my Range Rover!"
Perhaps just cut to the chase and ban cycling altogether, it's surely the only way to make the roads safe???
I'm assuming this gormless tit received those likes because he is thought to be funny.
Whoosh?
It would /will be interesting if some of the automobilist logic transfers:
Only a brief lapse in concentration. (prove it wasn't)
Undue hardship. (Note: only a issue after the fact)
Previous unblemished record. (I've never been caught before)
Sun in my eyes. (You won't even check)
I simply didn't see them. (No idea why, but this works)
They came out of nowhere. (See above)
I was on the back & no idea who was in control. (prove it was me)
Upstanding memeber of society (I'm not low-life, so I cannot possibly do wrong)
It's careless at most, unless on drugs/blind drunk or a Police officer is injured.
I thought I hit a baby
squirrelgerbil.etc etc
Psychologically / socially more important (swapping motor vehicle for bike):
I was in shock after running someone over, so I cycled home in a panic and THEN had a few drinks to calm my nerves.
You left out "I've no recollection". A popular, successful and accepted excuse which is gaining popularity in Scotland since its first showing a few years ago.
I think it's probably quite old... I'm sure it was about before this successful use in 2021.
Well done CoaB! Good to see the claims of this atrocious anti-cyclist-jury dodge proved to be correct.
Sadly I didn't even need to remember, Google will furnish you ample evidence - indeed it is uncommon for it to even reach court.
Here's one (with video) from 2016 in Englandshire - apparently no-one responsible for the car could remember who was driving, so the police forgot how to investigate further.
But as you know with enough brass neck you can in fact openly admit full guilt, and be found not guilty! (Hit and run - fortunately without death - found not guilty of driving without due care and attention; guilty of failing to stop after an incident; and guilty of failing to report that incident - no prison time, no driving ban).
"Former Metropolitan Police head Lord Hogan-Howe had wished to "ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that pedal cyclists abide by the criminal law and are held accountable where they breach that law"; had claimed that "dangerous" cyclists are "entirely unaccountable" and should have number plates."
As if Number plates on motor vehicles are holding drivers to account...
https://youtu.be/bbNSYQ8hoj8?feature=shared
Dear Lord Hogan-Howe: please ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that all road users abide by the criminal law and are held accountable where they breach that law.
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