New road laws could include compulsory number plates and insurance for cyclists

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 17: A cyclist negotiates the busy streets of the capital on August 17, 2018 in London, England. Dr Peter Fisher, one of three official Physicians to The Queen and a renowned homeopathist, was killed in a collision between his bicycle and a truck while cycling through the rush hour traffic yesterday. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
A string of latest biking legal guidelines might be put earlier than Parliament within the autumn (Image: Getty Photographs)

Cyclists must be insured, have registration plates and should comply with the velocity restrict identical to drivers, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps suggests.

The cupboard minister has hinted at a number of potential modifications in street legal guidelines that intention to crack down on reckless or irresponsible biking.

He says folks ought to now not flip a ‘blind eye’ to cyclists travelling at harmful speeds or slicing pink lights.

It comes after Mr Shapps vowed to create a ‘demise by harmful biking’ legislation which is able to deal with offenders the identical as motorists.

The Welwyn Hatfield MP mentioned it ‘can't be proper’ that cyclists are in a position to exceed the velocity restrict – significantly in 20mph zones – with out really breaking the legislation.

Because of this, the Transport Secretary says he wish to lengthen the restrictions to cyclists as nicely.

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 24: Cyclists pass by Big Ben on August 24, 2017 in London, England. Cycling in London is a popular mode of transport and leisure activity within the British capital and numbers have increased in recent years. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)
Cyclists could quickly want some type of registration plate or different identification markings (Image: Getty Photographs)

‘That clearly does then lead you into the query of: “Effectively, how are you going to recognise the bicycle owner? Do you want registration plates and insurance coverage? And that type of factor”,’ he instructed the Day by day Mail.

‘So I’m proposing there must be a evaluate of insurance coverage and the way you really monitor cyclists who do break the legal guidelines.’

The Freeway Code and Street Visitors Act rushing limits solely apply to these driving motor automobiles.

Whereas native authorities can impose velocity limits on cyclists, it has been not often completed in observe.

Division for Transport officers acknowledged that the proposed measures would require cyclists to have quantity plates or different identification markings for enforcement functions.

‘I don’t need to cease folks from getting on their bike,’ Mr Shapps mentioned. He added: ‘It’s a unbelievable technique to journey.

Cabinet Meeting in Downing Street, London, UK - 19 Jul 2022
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says we ‘do not need to show a blind eye’ to cyclists breaking guidelines (Image: REX/Shutterstock)

‘We’ve seen a giant explosion of biking throughout Covid and since, I believe it has plenty of well being advantages.

‘However I see no purpose why cyclists ought to break the street legal guidelines, why they need to velocity, why they need to bust pink lights and have the ability to get away with it.

‘I believe we do should not flip a blind eye to that and I’m proposing establishing a evaluate to do precisely that.’

It comes after Mr Shapps pledged to create a ‘demise by harmful biking’ legislation to ‘impress on cyclists the true hurt they will trigger when velocity is mixed with lack of care’.

The transfer will shut a authorized loophole which implies that cyclists who kill pedestrians can solely be jailed for 2 years.

It comes 4 years after the Authorities ran a session on proposals for brand spanking new offences of inflicting demise or critical harm whereas biking.

Mr Shapps wrote within the Mail+ earlier this month that a ‘egocentric minority’ of cyclists imagine they're ‘immune’ to pink lights.

‘We want the biking equal of demise by harmful driving to shut a spot within the legislation and impress on cyclists the true hurt they will trigger when velocity is mixed with lack of care,’ he mentioned.

Underneath the present proposal, the brand new legislation can be added to the Transport Invoice on account of be put earlier than Parliament within the autumn.

Mr Shapps himself, nevertheless, might not be in his present ministerial position when the Cupboard is reshuffled by the brand new prime minister subsequent month.

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