I’m all in favour of cycling. It’s very much the best way to get around, good for the person and the planet. I’ve been cycling in London for 50 years and still most weeks cycle into Central London. But now I find that I’m at more risk from other cyclists than I am from cars, taxis, or buses. Cyclists in London seem to be out of control.
Fifty years ago cyclists were few and far between in London (although much commoner 20 years before that), but now it’s like being in the Tour de France if I cycle during the rush hours. When I stop at a red light, which I always do, I feel like the fossil that I am. Unless there is a stream of traffic crossing ahead when cycling would be suicidal, I’m usually the only one to stop. The other cyclists go straight through the lights. They also cycle on the pavements, across zebra crossings with pedestrians on them, and the wrong side of traffic islands. Other cyclists, many of them on electric bikes, cut inside you and across you as you cycle. I’m usually one of the slowest, but people in Lycra often going above the 20 miles per hour speed limit race each other. The biggest risk takers may be those on electric bikes delivering food who are unrecognisable with their heads and mouths covered. Most of them seem to cycle without lights, an indictment of their employers.
The law is confusing for cyclists. Some traffic offences apply only to drivers—for example, speeding or using a mobile phone—while others apply to cyclists as well—for example, obeying traffic signals. Some laws—like requiring lights on the bike (which many don’t have)—apply specifically to cyclists. There was no need to require cyclists to obey the speed limit when the minimum speed limit was 30 mile per hour and bikes were heavy. Now in London and other cities the speed limit is often 20 miles per hour, and bikes have become ever lighter and faster.
The Ask the Police website says that “Cyclists are required by law to act responsibly. It is a criminal offence to ride a cycle either dangerously or without due care and attention whilst on a road. It is also a criminal offence to ride a cycle in a public place or road whilst unfit through drink or drugs.”
In 2016 there were 26 convictions for dangerous cycling in England and Wales, 63 convictions for careless or inconsiderate cycling, and two convictions for cycling under the influence of drink or drugs. Clearly the conviction rate is extremely low: I stand a good chance of seeing 60 cyclists jumping the lights in one journey across London. I can well see that the police have better things to do than prosecute cyclists for dangerous, careless, or inconsiderate cycling. Cyclists know that they are most unlikely to be stopped by the police, and if they are stopped they are likely to be spoken to not prosecuted.
The main victims of crazy cycling is likely to be cyclist themselves, but others can be seriously harmed. No charge was brought against a cyclist who was cycling at 29 miles per hour around Regents Park and collided with an elderly woman who died two months after the collision. Although the speed limit was 20 miles per hour, the cyclist was not breaking the law because speed limits don’t apply to cyclists.
In 2017 Kim Briggs was killed by a cyclist in central London. The cyclist was convicted by a jury of “causing bodily harm by wanton and furious driving,” but he was cleared of manslaughter. Her husband, Mathew Briggs, is now campaigning for a new offence of causing death by dangerous cycling.
What is the answer? The obvious answer is for cyclists to calm down, obey the law, and keep within the speed limit even if not legally required to do so. That seems to me to be highly unlikely to happen in London. Another answer may be greater enforcement of existing laws by the police. Perhaps a relatively small increase in prosecutions might have a deterrent effect. It seems obvious to change the law to require cyclists to obey speed limits, and a new a new offence of causing death by dangerous cycling may well come, particularly if there are more deaths (as there are likely to be). The extreme step of requiring cyclists to be licensed seems very unlikely.
My guess is that nothing will happen until there are more deaths caused by cyclists or other road users, particularly pedestrians, complain more loudly as the craziness of cyclists increases.
Because I was strongly taken to task by other cyclists when I published a blog along these lines before, I need to repeat that I strongly support cycling and am well aware that cyclists are the most vulnerable group on the roads. https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2019/09/11/richard-smith-time-to-regulate-cyclists/