'Dangerous cycling bill' will not become law, after UK general election announced by Rishi Sunak

The amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill set to introduce tougher legislation for cyclists who kill or injure through dangerous or careless cycling, after being agreed upon last week, is now set to be ditched due to yesterday's announcement by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak calling for a general election on 4 July, it has been reported.

On 15 May, ministers supported former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith's proposal to introduce the specific offence of "causing death by dangerous, careless, or inconsiderate cycling, and causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate cycling", which would lead to tougher penalties for those who kill or injure while riding bikes, e-bikes, electric scooters, unicycles, and "personal transporters".

> Government agrees to introduce tougher laws for “dangerous cyclists” who kill or injure, as Transport Secretary says “it’s only right tiny minority who recklessly disregard others face full weight of the law”

The amendments would have replaced the current legislation with which cyclists who kill or injure while riding recklessly can be prosecuted under the 1861 ‘wanton or furious driving’ law, which carries with it a maximum sentence of two years in prison. 

However, now Forbes' transport journalist Carlton Reid has reported that the amendment will now not go forward, with an announcement published on the House of Lords Library yesterday saying that the Bill is set to be debated in the second chamber of the Parliament on 6 June, now rendered void.

"There isn’t enough time for [the law to pass through the House of Lords],| a parliamentary insider has been quoted as saying. Reid adds: "This is because the Criminal Justice Bill is contentious legislation and could have been challenged by the upper chamber. Other laws are likely to passed in the so-called 'wash-up' period before parliament is dissolved on May 30 ahead of election campaigning."

Duncan Smith’s amendments had been welcomed by Matthew Briggs, a longstanding campaigner for a dangerous cycling law, whose wife Kim was hit and killed by a cyclist riding with no front brakes in London in 2016, with the cyclist Charlie Alliston later being jailed for 18 months after being found guilty of causing bodily harm by "wanton and furious riding".

> “That new dangerous cycling law can’t come soon enough”: BMW driver crashes spectacularly into bike stand on pavement – prompting cyclists to ask, “when will Mark Harper do anything about this?”

After the news that the proposed bill will not be made into a law, the 'KimBriggsCampaign' Twitter account, which has been calling for the "dangerous cycling law" to be introduced into the Criminal Justice Bill, said: "Whilst I’m no const[itutional] expert - I understand that all legislation passing through Lords will fall after prorogation.

Whilst I’m no const expert - I understand that all legislation passing through Lords will fall after prorogation. If that’s the case then we will be back. The bill has cross party backing & the main work is done. These incidents will keep happening & the spotlight will return.(1)

— KimBriggsCampaign (@BriggsCampaign) May 22, 2024

Previously, Matthew Briggs, who runs the account, had said that he will delete his seven-year-old social media accounts pressing for a law change but he will now continue campaigning.

"If that’s the case then we will be back. The bill has cross party backing & the main work is done. These incidents will keep happening and the spotlight will return. There are a number of possible routes being by highlighted to me this evening," he wrote.

As of now, Labour whips are said to be holding talks to work out what outstanding legislation can become law before the end of the current parliamentary session, which includes extending support for passing the Victims and Prisoners Bill to establish a compensation scheme for victims of the NHS infected blood scandal. However, it's alluded that the Criminal Justice Bill will not receive such backing.

Announcing the government’s backing of Duncan Smith’s amendments on Wednesday, Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “Most cyclists, like most drivers, are responsible and considerate. But it’s only right that the tiny minority who recklessly disregard others face the full weight of the law for doing so.

"Just like car drivers who flout the law, we are backing this legislation introducing new offences around dangerous cycling. These new measures will help protect law-abiding cyclists, pedestrians, and other road users, whilst ensuring justice is done.

"I would like to thank Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP for bringing forward this amendment, and to all the campaigners who have tirelessly highlighted this issue – this is in recognition of their efforts in particular."

> "If the aviation or rail industry had the safety record that roads do, planes would be grounded, and trains would be stopped": Brake road safety charity latest to respond to government's 'dangerous cycling' bill

In January 2022, Former Transport Secretary Grant Shapps first raised the issue before declaring his intention to introduce the law again later that year during his infamous summer of backpedalling and U-turns that saw him suggest – and almost immediately retract – that cyclists should have licences, number plates, be insured, and subject to speed limits.

On Tuesday, the ministers' decision to pass the amendment was slammed by the road safety charity Brake, which responded by calling the attention and emphasis placed on cycling as "disproportionate". 

Brake cited statistics that shown nine people were killed in collisions involving a cyclist between 2018-2022, while just in 2022, 1,766 people died and 29,000 were injured on the roads in total. The charity mentions Chris Boardman's interview on BBC News, in which he said more people are killed by lightning and cows each year than cyclists. 

Brake's CEO Ross Moorlock said: "Every road death and injury is devastating for the families involved, and we welcome robust and fair sentencing for any road user who kills or harms through reckless behaviour.

"However, it feels that the focus being given to this announcement – by both Government and the media – is disproportionate given the true extent of road casualties across the UK, and the lack of commitment from this Government to address road safety at a strategic level.

"If the aviation or rail industry had the safety record that roads do, planes would be grounded, and trains would be stopped.

"Given the Government is so eager to act on dangerous cycling, we ask that they now continue this trend, by introducing further legislation that ensures that we see a significant and sustained reduction in road death and injury both this year and in the years to come."