They may also be required to get insurance and observe the same speed limits as cars
Cyclists could be made to have registration numbers under a radical shake-up of road laws.
Plans to crackdown on ‘aggressive riders’ could lead to riders having to get insurance and abide by the same speed restrictions and other road rules as motorists.
According to Daily Mail reports, it also raises the possibility that cyclists could be subject to licence penalty points or fines for speeding or running red lights.
Officials have acknowledged that this means cyclists will need number plates or another form of identifiable markings for enforcement purposes.
Red tape latest pic.twitter.com/xoPgVphNfU
— John Rentoul (@JohnRentoul) August 17, 2022
As part of a planned review, they also want mandatory insurance to be considered, enabling any pedestrians seriously injured by reckless riders to secure compensation.
Pedestrians hit by cars can make sizeable claims which are paid out by the motorist’s insurer. But this is not possible for victims of reckless cyclists, and riders cannot be sued if they have little wealth.
The plans would be part of a wider crackdown on a minority of aggressive riders that would also see the creation of a new offence of death by dangerous cycling, which Grant Shapps announced earlier this month.
Speaking to the Mail, the Transport Secretary said: ‘Somewhere where cyclists are actually not breaking the law is when they speed, and that cannot be right, so I absolutely propose extending speed limit restrictions to cyclists.
“I don’t want to stop people from getting on their bike, it’s a fantastic way to travel, and we’ve seen a big explosion of cycling during Covid and since. But I see no reason why cyclists should break the road laws and be able to get away with it.’
Mr Shapps may no longer be transport secretary in the new prime minister’s Cabinet. But he said the successor will be urged to press ahead with the review. It is likely to raise questions about drink-drive limits and whether an age cap would be needed to stop children being subject to the strict rules.
Was on @JeremyVineOn5 talking to @theJeremyVine about @grantshapps latest proposals for new legislation for cyclists. As I`ve been saying for a long time, we need tougher laws, such as compulsory number plates for cyclists, to make roads safer for ALL users #cyclists pic.twitter.com/w2YHFSkwcE
— Nick Freeman (@TheMrLoophole) August 16, 2022
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