Eman Hassan in the Telegraph supporting better protection of pedestrians on the roads
Following recent news that, yet again, the Government plans to toughen up laws around cycling collisions, Eman Hassan was quoted in a Telegraph feature supporting better protection of pedestrians who she says face a growing risk of being injured by cyclists on the roads.
“We are seeing more and more people hit by bikes, especially, I feel, since the London cycle superhighways were introduced,” she says. “Often, it’s from a normal pedal bike, where the person has been hit directly or knocked over into the road.
“We see clients suffering injuries ranging from severe brain injury to upper and lower limb fractures. These injuries can be life changing.”
Eman's comments arise directly from the news that the Government is looking to overhaul outdated laws around cycling collisions that directly impacted our former client, Matt Briggs, whose wife Kim was killed by a cyclist riding a 'fixie' bike, with no front brakes.
Mr Briggs has campaigned for years with our help to have cycling laws brought in line with road traffic laws so that cyclists face more stringent penalties for injuring and killing pedestrians through reckless cycling.
Mr Briggs remains cautiously hopeful that changes to the law are imminent, despite facing several U-turns from government ministers since he began his campaign in 2017.
The current government proposals to the Crime and Policing Bill, currently going through Parliament, could see dangerous cyclists who kill face life imprisonment. Currently, those who commit this type of crime can only be imprisoned for a maximum of two years under an outdated 1861 law intended for horse riders.
The changes would also see serious injury caused by dangerous cycling – or death by careless or inconsiderate cycling – incur a five-year jail term, fines, or both.
The proposed amendment would see cycling offences brought into line with driving offences, which is precisely what Mr Briggs has campaigned so adamantly for, making it clear in the Guardian nearly eight years ago that his campaign was never 'anti-cycling', something levelled at him by the pro-cycling lobby which disagreed with the proposals. "This is about where there is criminal wrongdoing, which is an objective test… Where there is criminal wrongdoing, there is a gap in the law', he told the Guardian in 2017.
"There’s a gap between an 1861 act, which is for horses and carriages, and manslaughter. It’s way too big a gap. All I’m saying [is] the law needs to catch up."
Meanwhile, the number of serious injuries from cyclist collisions are growing. Official figures show that there were 308 pedestrians injured by cyclists in 2020, compared with 437 in 2021 and 462 in 2022, likely contributed to by the increase of e-bikes, which are heavier and travel faster.
Speaking to the Telegraph, Eman also said that any changes to the law should be accompanied by the expectation that cyclists get themselves insured
“If cyclists had insurance and collided with someone, causing serious injury, the victim may well need specialist rehabilitation to support their recovery. But currently, there is nothing that can be done unless the cyclist has some form of home insurance or the accident occurs during the course of their employment and a claim could be made against their company.
“It is never right that the careless actions of one person should hugely disadvantage another, often to the extent of ruining their and their family’s lives for ever," she said.
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For further information about cycling accident claims and personal injury claims, please call Eman Hassan on 0330 460 6753 or email eman.hassan@fieldfisher.com.
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