Cycle Laws Too Relaxed?

High-profile traffic and speeding lawyer, Nick Freeman has suggested that cyclists should be subjected to the same laws as motorists and be forced to wear helmets and hi-vis clothing.

Freeman highlighted the fact that some riders totally disregard the Highway Code. The RAC quoted him as saying “There are a number of cyclists who seem to ignore signals and junctions while undertaking when approaching left turns and ignoring red lights is commonplace”.

He continues “Cyclists should be forced to stick to the letter of the law as they are a danger to themselves and other road users and this behaviour inevitably increases the number of car insurance claims”.

It is understood that The number of bicycle-related deaths increased from 107 in 2011 to 118 in 2012, while the number of cyclists sustaining serious injuries rose 4% to 3,222, according to latest figures from the Department for Transport.

The vulnerability of cyclists has been at the forefront of the media for some time, recently so following the first recorded death on the 6th July caused by a London ‘Boris Bike’.

The Major of London introduced the Barclays Cycle Hire bike in 2010. The cyclist in question was riding on cycle superhighway 2 in east London - one of the specially designed cycling safety routes into the capital, when a lorry struck her.

Share this article