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Government reportedly considering handing cyclists a 20mph speed limit on UK roads
Transport secretary Grant Shapps said he would "absolutely propose" extending speed limit restrictions to cyclists.
Emily Sergeant -
17th August 2022 
Transport ministers said to be considering introducing speed limit for cyclists on UK roads, according to recent reports.
Less than two weeks after Grant Shapps vowed to create a new “death by dangerous cycling” law that would effectively treat cyclists who kill in the same way as motorists, the transport secretary has now apparently told the Daily Mail that the Department for Transport (DfT) is considering the introduction of cycling speed limits.
Mr Shapps said he would “absolutely propose” extending speed limit restrictions to cyclists, and added that it “cannot be right” that this is not something they do not have to adhere to.
Read more: A new law giving cyclists priority at roundabouts comes into force this week
“Somewhere where cyclists are actually not breaking the law is when they speed, and that cannot be right, so I absolutely propose extending speed limit restrictions to cyclists,” Mr Shapps told the paper.
“Particularly where you’ve got 20mph limits on increasing numbers of roads, cyclists can easily exceed those, so I want to make speed limits apply to cyclists. That obviously does then lead you into the question of: ‘Well, how are you going to recognise the cyclist? Do you need registration plates and insurance?’ And that sort of thing.
“So I’m proposing there should be a review of insurance and how you actually track cyclists who do break the laws.”
At present, the Highway Code and Road Traffic Act says that speed limits on UK roads only apply to motor vehicles and their drivers.
While local authorities can impose speed limits on cyclists, it has been rarely done.
Mr Shapps added that while he doesn’t want to stop people from getting on their bike, he said that we should not “turn a blind eye” to cyclists who break road laws, speed, and “bust red lights and get away with it”.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has refused to provide comment on Mr Shapps’ interview.
Featured Image – GMCA
