Overview

• The UK government has introduced amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill that would impose life sentences for causing death by dangerous cycling.
• The proposed changes bring cycling offences in line with motoring laws, replacing the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act's two-year maximum penalty for 'wanton and furious' riding.
• Campaigners, including Matt Briggs, whose wife was killed by a cyclist in 2016, have welcomed the reforms as a long-awaited victory for victim advocacy.
• Critics, such as former Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman, warn that harsher penalties could discourage cycling, potentially undermining active travel and environmental goals.
• The amendments, led by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, will be debated in Parliament, with penalties also proposed for serious injury and careless or inconsiderate cycling.