Is dangerous cycling a problem?

[BentMikey]

AFAIK only 3 of those were on the pavement. Cyclists generally, I think are much more vulnerable to pedestrians on the road in traffic, than the pedestrians are to cyclists.

 

[SW19cam]

On the other hand it's a considerably worse punishment than most drivers get after killing a pedestrian. By that measure cyclists are already punished disproportionately worse than drivers are.

I have no problem with this bill, provided that it brings the same penalties and standards of measurement to drivers.

Agreed. A bit of consistency would be welcome!

 

[GFamily]

Yes, dangerous cycling is a problem because cycling need not be inherently dangerous.

Cycling that puts others in danger (or in fear of danger) needs to be strongly condemned.

 

[Cubist]

Yes, dangerous cycling is a problem because cycling need not be inherently dangerous.

Cycling that puts others in danger (or in fear of danger) needs to be strongly condemned.

Absolutely right, but, and this is the point of the whole debate: Dangerous cycling is reasonably rare (I'll leave the Londoners to talk about psychotic couriers et al) and the potential consequences of dangerous cycling are far far lower than those of a car driven poorly or dangerously. This doesn't mean that deliberately dangerous cycling should go unpunished, but the proposal is, I believe, a cynical attempt to get on the side of the " frothing at the mouth if I see a cyclist filtering" brigade.

 

[Leaway2]

I suspect its unlikely that you would kill a pedestrian by cycling into them alone, its the result of hitting something e.g. pavement. Therefore do we need a law for skateboarders, in line skaters, joggers?

 

[Red Light]

I suspect its unlikly to kill a pedestrian by cycling into them alone, its the result of hitting something eg pavement. Therfore do we need a law for skateboarders, in line skaters, joggers?

Usually the result of the ped falling back and hitting their head on something. I gather in the Weymouth case where the cyclist was jailed a couple of years back, there wasn't even contact. The elderly pedestrian just stepped back in surprise, stumbled and fell backwards, hitting their head on the pavement. A case for pedestrian helmets or contributory negligence?

 

[snorri]

What we do know, and I think we would all agree, is that a £2,200 fine doesn't seem a reasonable punishment for what happened (Given the assumption that the cyclist was at fault).

Other reports suggest there were considerable discrepancies between the family version and the police version of the circumstances leading to the crash.

 

[mickle]

Ambitious MP trying to get herself some column inches by pandering to the significant minority of cyclist hating drivers. By all means prosecute people who through intent or neglect kill others. But lets get this into perspective - cyclists kill, on average, less than one person per year. Bad rivers kill rather more. And as someone pointed out above most get away without prosecution. Step-ladders kill more people than cyclists.

This whole thing is symptomatic of poor attitudes towards cyclists. And it panders to and feeds those anti-cyclist attitudes.

The sooner we accept that we are a persecuted minority the better.

 

[marinyork]

Whatever you think of the actual idea, one of the bits I thought was the least convincing on it for the horrible motives was if you read when the proposal was put forward by Andrea Leadsom

The idea of creating a new law to deal with this problem was last considered in 2005 by the Ministry of Justice, which decided that no such law was required at that time. Six years later, with the growing number of bikes on our roads, more and more cycle lanes being introduced and the introduction of excellent schemes that I take advantage of myself, such as the cycle hire scheme in London, we need to look at the matter again, and I ask the House to support the Bill.

With so much in parliament that doesn't crop up for ages and ages, the idea that after such a short period of time, in parliamentary terms, that it needs looking at again by a rookie A-list MP is laughably unconvincing.

 

[davefb]

I suspect its unlikely that you would kill a pedestrian by cycling into them alone, its the result of hitting something e.g. pavement. Therefore do we need a law for skateboarders, in line skaters, joggers?

other walkers..

i've had people turn round and nearly knock me over when walking... its a proper menace you know!

on stairs it could easily be lethal.... we need the ' wonky walking act'