Calls are growing for new road rules that would see all cyclists required to have bells on their handlebars to boost safety.
Conservative MP Sir Julian Lewis made the suggestion during a Commons debate on the Crime and Policing Bill on Monday.
The MP for New Forest East intervened during a speech by former Conservative Party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, who was calling for a crackdown on dangerous cycling.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith had previously called for new rules to prosecute cyclists who “cause death by dangerous cycling”, “causing serious injury by dangerous cycling” and “causing death by careless or inconsiderate cycling”.
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Cyclists could face new rules under plans to improve road safety
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While these laws were never introduced, the Conservative MP for Chingford and Woodford Green has consistently called for a wide discussion about cycling safety and regulation.
During the Commons debate, Sir Julian Lewis said: “It would also help if it were made mandatory for all cyclists to have a bell so they could at least warn pedestrians of their approach.”
Rule 63 of the Highway Code notes that it is recommended for cyclists to have a bell fitted on their bicycles to let other road users know of their presence.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith said he would take the suggestion of mandatory bells “into consideration”.
His main concern was about cyclists who cause deaths but cannot be prosecuted under current legislation.
“The main point I was making was we have had deaths on the street where cyclists cannot be prosecuted for having killed someone,” Sir Iain told MPs.
He noted that authorities are still using “a piece of legislation from the mid-19th century, which was offensive and wild carriage driving”.
Sir Iain argued this outdated law “is not acceptable but it hardly ever commits anybody and convicts them either”.
During the debate on the Labour Government’s new Crime and Policing Bill, Sir Iain asked ministers whether they had considered reviving his suggestions.
He urged the Government to “please look again at dangerous cycling where people genuinely abuse the Road Traffic Act and nothing ever seems to be done for them”.
He also highlighted particular concerns about electric bikes, which he described as “very dangerous”, and noted how riders were using them “in the pathways”.
The veteran MP said the issue had been identified by his constituents as riders posed a “major danger”, even if they weren’t committing criminal offences.
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Many have expressed their frustration at electric bikes clogging up pavements
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He said: “ASB antisocial behaviour is a big thing our constituents notice and they feel very threatened by people who ride them down on the pavements. It may seem small, but it’s not.”
In response, Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson said the Government was looking into addressing the issue, adding that IDS had been a “doughty campaigner”.
