New ‘demise by harmful biking’ offence after MPs again legislation change

Dangerous biking that causes demise might land individuals as much as 14 years in jail after the House of Commons backed a proposed change to the legislation.

On Wednesday evening, MPs voted in favour of an modification to the Criminal Justice Bill that may create three new offences: inflicting demise by harmful biking; inflicting critical harm by harmful biking and inflicting demise by careless or thoughtless biking.

The modification, put ahead by former minister and Tory celebration chief Sir Iain Duncan Smith, was supported by the federal government and can now kind a part of the invoice.

Speaking within the Commons, Sir Ian described the brand new legislation as “urgent” and added: “This is not, as is often accused by people who say anything about it, anti-cycling.

“Quite the alternative, it is about ensuring this takes place in a secure and affordable method.”

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During his speech, Sir Ian made reference to Matthew Briggs, whose spouse Kim died aged 44 after a bike owner collided along with her in Old Street, east London.

The bicycle didn’t have a entrance brake and the 44-year-old suffered “catastrophic” head accidents – dying in hospital every week after the crash in February 2016.

The bike owner, Charlie Alliston, was jailed for 18 months after he was discovered responsible on the Old Bailey of “wanton or furious driving”, however was cleared of manslaughter.

Sir Iain stated: “(Mr Briggs’) attempt to get a cyclist prosecuted after his wife was killed in central London in 2016 involved a legal process that was so convoluted and difficult even the presiding judge has said afterwards, since she’s retired, that this made a mockery and therefore it needed to be addressed – that the laws do not cover what happened to his wife and is happening to lots of other people.”

He added: “The amendment, I believe, will achieve equal accountability, just as drivers are held accountable for dangerous driving that results in death, cyclists I think should face similar consequences for reckless behaviour that leads to fatalities.”

Transport Secretary Mark Harper, responding to the approval of the modification, stated in a press release: “Most cyclists, like most drivers, are responsible and considerate. But it’s only right that the tiny minority who recklessly disregard others face the full weight of the law for doing so.”

Dangerous biking is already specified by the Road Traffic Act, which incorporates driving in a means which “falls far below what would be expected of a competent and careful cyclist” and which “would be obvious to a competent and careful cyclist that riding in that way would be dangerous”.

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The proposed legislation would require cyclists to ensure their automobile “is equipped and maintained” in a authorized means, together with by retaining brakes in working order.

It would apply to incidents involving pedal cycles, e-bikes, e-scooters and e-unicycles.

Current legal guidelines state that inflicting demise or critical harm by harmful, careless or thoughtless driving are already offences, however the automobile concerned have to be “mechanically propelled”.