Cyclists who kill could face a life sentence
Cyclists who kill pedestrians by acting dangerously on the road could face life imprisonment under a proposed change to the law. Currently, cycling offenders can be imprisoned for no more than two years under an 1861 law originally intended for drivers of horse-drawn carriages.
A government amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill – which is currently going through Parliament – would see cycling offences brought in line with driving offences, the Department for Transport (DfT) said. The changes would also mean serious injury caused by dangerous cycling – or death by careless or inconsiderate cycling – could incur punishments of five years in jail, fines, or both. A serious injury caused by careless or inconsiderate cycling would result in a two-year sentence, a fine or both under the proposed changes.
The government estimates that of 1,600 deaths on UK roads last year, four were caused by cyclists.
