Death by dangerous cycling: Review recommends new law to punish cyclists in same way as drivers

It is believed new policy will be announced next week

A cyclist rides on a cycle superhighway in Kennington, south London (PA)

Ministers are reportedly to be told causing death by dangerous cycling should be a criminal offence.

It is believed the new policy will be announced next week after it was revealed MPs have been considering introducing a new offence for cyclists who kill pedestrians.

A review designed to reflect public concern over safety on UK roads is now expected to recommend such killings should carry the same penalties as causing death by dangerous driving.

Currently, motorists convicted of doing so face up to 14 years in prison – and the Government has publicly committed to upping the sentence to a life in prison.

The review followed the case of cyclist Charlie Alliston, who was jailed for 18 months in September for knocking over and killing 44-year-old Kim Briggs.

He was speeding through London on a bike with no front brakes when he hit Ms Briggs.

Alliston, 20, was cleared of manslaughter but found guilty of causing bodily harm by “wanton and furious driving”, a crime under the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act, which carries a maximum sentence of two years in jail.

The Victorian-era law, originally drafted to deal with reckless handling of horses, was used because there was no cycling equivalent in the law of the offence of causing death by dangerous driving.

Ms Briggs’s widower, Matthew, said it would be a “big achievement” to get the law changed.

“I can’t make sense of what happened. I have no idea how my kids can make sense of it. I want to make sure that Kim’s dying wasn’t the end,” he told The Mail on Sunday.

“I want the kids to look back in the future and see something was accomplished. That she made it a little bit easier for people in the future.”

In 2015, two pedestrians were killed and 96 were seriously injured when hit by a cycle.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We are carrying out a review to improve all elements of cycle safety.

“This includes looking at the case for a new offence, equivalent to causing death or serious injury by careless or dangerous driving, to help protect both cyclists and pedestrians.”

Agencies contributed to this report