What will be classed as dangerous cycling?

[Sore Thumb]

Death by Dangerous Cycling.

What will be classed as dangerous cycling?

If you jump a red light and by doing so cause a traffic collision which someone dies will the cyclist be accused of death by dangerous cycling?

If some club cyclists ride 3 side by side and a motorist overtakes and hits a oncoming car could the cyclists be charged with dangerous cycling?

the list could go on and on ...........



So what could be considered as dangerous cycling?

Could motorists on some occasions use a cyclist as a excuse for their own dangerous driving? This dangerous cyclist did this which caused me to do ..................

 

[Bicycle]

I think...

You know...

It will be, like....

..doing stuff on a bicycle that's, like, dangerous.

Like, dangerous things and that.

Well that's what I think.

Pretty much.

 

[Davidc]

Er - same general ideas as dangerous driving?

Not a problem really, it's causing death by .... so one case every 3 to 5 years,, and you have to be a complete pillock to be the one.

 

[Sore Thumb]

What the cycling community considers safe cycling may be considered dangerous by the motoring community. If a collision happens which causes the death of someone the motorists involved may consider what the cyclist did as dangerous. I'm just concerned that cyclists could start to be used as an excuse by other road users bad driving.

Will cycling MPs be used to decided what might be considered dangerous cycling or will it be top heavy with motoring MPs.

Don't forget that some motorists probably think that not using a cycle lane should be classed as dangerous cycling.

 

[Sore Thumb]

Er - same general ideas as dangerous driving?

Not a problem really, it's causing death by .... so one case every 3 to 5 years,, and you have to be a complete pillock to be the one.

Maybe i'm thinking too much, but what a cyclist considers dangerous and a motorist considers dangerous might be different.

A motorist might say 'this cyclist was riding to far into the road which caused me to hit this other car' therefore a dangerous cyclist rather that the actions of the driver been dangerous. Could the police charge the cyclist rather than the driver for been dangerous.

 

[Davidc]

The courts are usually sensible, and the CPS is sensible about when to prosecute. The law won't get passed, and if it did MPs wouldn't go further than to define an offence, they'd leave the detail to the police, CPS, and courts as with other similar matters.

It's a non-problem under our system while we have an independent judiciary and high quality barristers.

 

[mark i]

One potential consequence, shared cycle lanes, pedestrian steps in front of cyclist doing say 15mph. This law then gets used, shared cycle lanes do not get used? It may highlight that the incompatibilities cyclists and pedestrians on shared cycle lanes. ( I am a cyclist who gets frustrated by pedestrians that struggle with pictures of cycles on cycleways....)

 

[edindave]

One potential consequence, shared cycle lanes, pedestrian steps in front of cyclist doing say 15mph. This law then gets used, shared cycle lanes do not get used? It may highlight that the incompatibilities cyclists and pedestrians on shared cycle lanes. ( I am a cyclist who gets frustrated by pedestrians that struggle with pictures of cycles on cycleways....)

They don't work all the time.

I sympathise with pedestrians in Edinburgh, take your tourist out for a walk round Arthur's Seat in Holyrood Park.
I'm busy dinging my bell at them.... can't expect them to be looking at the ground for pictures of bicycles (or not) - that's not why whey came to Edinburgh - I'd rather they looked upwards and appreciate the beautiful landscape that they came to see...
What's the solution? I ride on the road!

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

Leaving the confines of a cycle lane

At least...that's where a bill like this would end up if followed to its logical conclusion IMO

 

[DrSquirrel]

If some club cyclists ride 3 side by side and a motorist overtakes and hits a oncoming car could the cyclists be charged with dangerous cycling?

No.

Overtaking party should only do so when safe.

 

[Jezston]

The courts are usually sensible

Have you seen the outcome of many dangerous driving trials? I'd be seriously inclined to disagree with that statment based on what I've heard.

 

[jefmcg]

One potential consequence, shared cycle lanes, pedestrian steps in front of cyclist doing say 15mph. This law then gets used, shared cycle lanes do not get used? It may highlight that the incompatibilities cyclists and pedestrians on shared cycle lanes. ( I am a cyclist who gets frustrated by pedestrians that struggle with pictures of cycles on cycleways....)

Seriously? Remember, the crime is "Death by dangerous cycling". I doubt there are any cyclists who are doing things that they believe would lead to the death of another person. Surely if the enormity of taking another life does not modify someone's behaviour, the slight risk of a custodial sentence would not make a difference. Particularly when a cyclist is at risk of (possibly fatal) injury in such a collision.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

If you jump a red light and by doing so cause a traffic collision which someone dies will the cyclist be accused of death by dangerous cycling?

If some club cyclists ride 3 side by side and a motorist overtakes and hits a oncoming car could the cyclists be charged with dangerous cycling?

As it is ILLEGAL for a cyclist to jump a red light, that would surely be death by dangerous cycling.

As for the 3 abreast, that depends; although I agree with the other comment that it's the overtaking vehicle who has the responsibility to check it's safe before overtaking. I can't recall if the HC requires cyclists not to cycle more than 2 abreast or if it just recommends they do.

 

[thomas]

As for the 3 abreast, that depends; although I agree with the other comment that it's the overtaking vehicle who has the responsibility to check it's safe before overtaking. I can't recall if the HC requires cyclists not to cycle more than 2 abreast or if it just recommends they do.

You can, but you shouldn't cycle more than three abreast (it's not a must not)

 

[PK99]

Death by Dangerous Cycling.

What will be classed as dangerous cycling?

If you jump a red light and by doing so cause a traffic collision which someone dies will the cyclist be accused of death by dangerous cycling?

They should be

If some club cyclists ride 3 side by side and a motorist overtakes and hits a oncoming car could the cyclists be charged with dangerous cycling?

The cyclists' behaviour did not force the driver to act in the way he chose to act, so no.