Cyclists could be fined for breaking speed limits as minister demands road law review

Cyclists could be fined for violating speed limits and forced to have road insurance and registration numbers, part of plans launched as the government considered a new review of road laws. announced plans for a possible traffic overhaul, which he insisted his replacement would also be asked to pursue.

While cyclists are not generally subject to the same limits faster than cars, Mr Shapps said on Tuesday he wanted to end that - citing "a hard core of cyclists who seem to think the laws of the road don't apply to them".

Plans announced to Daily Mail and The Times on Tuesday included cyclists facing penalty points and fines for breaking news rules, with the former noting that the review could raise questions about drink-driving limits and whether an age cap would be needed to prevent children from being subjected to strict rules.

Department for Transport (DfT) officials would agree that enforcement of such measures would require cyclists to have registration numbers or some other form of identifiable marking.

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But, describing themselves as a An "avid cyclist", Mr Shapps told The Times he was "not drawn to the number plate bureaucracy" on bicycles, saying: "That would go too far."

Last December, the DfT rejected a petition calling for cyclists to wear visible identification and introduce a system me of licenses and penalty points for all cyclists, on the grounds that the costs "would outweigh the benefits".

The department noted that "the safety record for such a system is not as strong as that of riders because 'bicycles involved in crashes' are very unlikely to cause serious injury to other road users".

He also warned that a licensing system would likely reduce the number of cyclists and would "significantly reduce" the "clear" benefits that cycling brings to both cyclists and to society in general, such as fighting traffic congestion, reducing climate-warming CO2 emissions and improving air quality.

Their response also warned that such a move would "prevent children and young adults from enjoying the mobility and health benefits that cycling brings until they are old enough to take a formal test".

Speaking to The Times on Tuesday, however, Mr Shapps said: "How is it possible that some Are people able to exceed the speed limit and bomb through red lights? Now is the time to take a look at a review and possibly update the laws so that they also apply to cyclists. , which would treat killer cyclists in the same way as motorists.

Under Mr Shapps' proposal, the new law - which would fill a legal loophole meaning that cyclists who kill pedestrians cannot be imprisoned only for two years - would be added to the transport bill to be presented to parliament in the fall.

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