Dangerous cyclists need to be addressed

WE are constantly being contacted about cyclists who are riding dangerously, yet the Police seem to be powerless to do anything about it. It isn't just young people, but all ages that are often seen swerving in front of fast moving traffic and also pedestrians. This is especially dangerous when they are performing wheelies and other stunts, along with riding without lights at night. All these hazards we now see on a daily basis, on the roads and pavements all over the UK. But, in Southport we have recently experienced a big rise in shoppers and local business owners contacting us, as they are concerned about riders performing dangerous stunts within a pedestrian areas, like the 2 cyclists you can see in this picture. The rider pulling the stunt nearly hit an elderly lady and a young child as he passed them under the Lord Street boulevards, at speed. Luckily he missed, but at the time a local resident asked us:- "How many more close in encounters will it take before someone is killed? Why are the Police not doing anything about this?"

Interestingly, the Police can do these riders, as the Highway Code clearly says You 'MUST NOT' cycle on a pavement. Cyclists are not allowed to ride on pavements, even if they consider it to be safer than cycling on the road. Under Section 72 of the Highways Act 1835, But Police do seem to be increasingly powerless to stop them.

Often, as journalists, when we bring up any topic about cyclists being a danger to others, we get complaints that we are giving cyclists have an unfair reputation. That they "do not harm anyone." But in reality, they are a very real risk to others, including other law abiding cyclists, if they do not follow the rules.

When talking about the Highway Code we also often hear the comment that the:- "Highway Code is not the law." But in reality, The Highway Code was one of the provisions of the wide reaching Road Traffic Act 1930. So this means many of the rules in the Code are legal requirements, and if you disobey these rules you are committing a criminal offence! Despite the apparent safety of riding a bike on the pavement, however, it remains illegal.

So, cycling dangerously is a prosecutable offence! Despite common held myths, a cyclists can be charged with careless or dangerous cycling, under the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act, which covers:- "wanton and furious driving" and also under the Road Traffic Act 1988 that covers riding recklessly on a road or in a dangerous, careless or inconsiderate manner. These offences are all now covered by sections:- 28 to 30 of the Road Traffic Act 1991, and can carry a maximum fine of::- £1000 to £2500.

Should a rider injure a pedestrian or cause a crash, cyclists often forget that they could be sued for causing an accident. Should a cyclist kill a pedestrian through riding dangerously, the Crown Prosecution Service can also charge them with manslaughter and / or causing bodily harm through wanton and furious driving, a crime under the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act.

If you think cyclists do not kill predestines, thing again. One of the highest profile cases in recent years was Kim Briggs, who was killed by a cyclist riding a bike with no front brakes, in 2016. You also have the case of Diana Walker, who was aged 77 when she was killed in 2016, in Pewsey, Wiltshire, after being hit by a cyclist.

Many are now saying that we need to have means of identifying bad cyclists, just like we do with bad drivers, and the tacit acceptance of such behaviour needs to stop. Also the attitude towards cyclists when it comes to enforcing the rules needs to be harder, especially with regards to electric bikes.

Shockingly, the current law was unsurprisingly classed as out of date at the time of the previously mentioned deaths, as it was widely publicised that it was only intended for horse drawn carriage. Under current rules a cyclist who kills while riding recklessly can be jailed for only a maximum of 2 years under an 1861 law for:- "wanton or furious driving." This rule is currently under review, but now reports in the national media say that the UK Government is unlikely to honour its pledge to introduce tough new legislation that would see the same sentence being given to a cyclists who kill while riding recklessly as motorists face, that of a life sentence if charged and convicted.

Let us know your thoughts on this news topic... Email our Newsroom at:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com or send us a message on:-  Mastodon, Facebook or Twitter.

Did you know? You might be shocked to find out that you can even be fined for being intoxicated and riding a bike. The maximum penalty for being drunk in charge of a pedal cycle, under the Licensing Act of 1872, is a fine of £1,000 or a month in custody!
 

Dangerous parking yet again upsets coastal residents

FORMBY, over the hot weekend, has yet again seen another rise in dangerously parked cars, blocking of roads and parking on junctions, as people flock to the beaches, to enjoy the heat wave. This latest run was not as bad as in previous years, but with Summer and yet another Bank Holiday to go, residents are asking for reassurances that enforcement will take place against those who block pavements and roads within the Village. One resident said:- "I keep waking up to find cars parked on the junction by my house and on the bend of the narrow road. Cars can't see each other approaching from either direction and pedestrians can't see around them, let along get past them. Pedestrians often tread on my garden to get around them. I'm not saying a few people, but a few hundred feet trampling over my garden! Why can't bad parkers be prosecuted for this? We don't mind them being slightly on the pavement, but all the way across or on junctions... We need to get this sorted and fast, before the Summer Holidays hit!" Are you affected by the dangerous parking? If yes, please do let us know by emailing our Newsroom. Let us know your thoughts on this news topic... Email our Newsroom at:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com or send us a message on:-  Mastodon, Facebook or Twitter.