Crime and Policing Act 2026

Prospective

141 Dangerous, careless or inconsiderate cycling E+W+S

(1) The Road Traffic Act 1988 is amended as set out in subsections (2) to (6) .

(2) Before section 28 (dangerous cycling) insert—

“27A Causing death by dangerous cycling

A person who causes the death of another person by riding a cycle dangerously on a road or other public place is guilty of an offence.

27B Causing serious injury by dangerous cycling

(1) A person who causes serious injury to another person by riding a cycle dangerously on a road or other public place is guilty of an offence.

(2) In this section “serious injury” means—

(a) in England and Wales, physical harm which amounts to grievous bodily harm for the purposes of the Offences against the Person Act 1861, and

(b) in Scotland, severe physical injury.”

(3) In section 28—

(a) in subsection (1) for “on a road dangerously” substitute “dangerously on a road or other public place”;

(b) omit subsections (2) and (3).

(4) After section 28 insert—

“28A Meaning of “dangerous cycling”

(1) This section applies for the purposes of sections 27A, 27B and 28.

(2) A person is to be regarded as riding dangerously if (and only if) the condition in subsection (3) or (4) is met.

(3) The condition in this subsection is met if—

(a) the way that the person rides falls far below what would be expected of a competent and careful cyclist, and

(b) it would be obvious to a competent and careful cyclist that riding in that way would be dangerous.

(4) The condition in this subsection is met if it would be obvious to a competent and careful cyclist that riding the cycle in its current state would be dangerous.

(5) In determining the state of a cycle for the purposes of subsection (4), regard may be had (among other things) to—

(a) whether the cycle is equipped and maintained in accordance with regulations under section 81 (regulation of brakes, bells etc, on pedal cycles);

(b) anything attached to or carried on the cycle and the manner in which it is attached or carried.

(6) In determining what would be expected of, or obvious to, a competent and careful cyclist in a particular case, regard is to be had both to—

(a) the circumstances of which the person could be expected to be aware (taking account of, if relevant to the case, the age of the accused), and

(b) the circumstances shown to have been within the knowledge of the accused.

(7) References in this section to something being “dangerous” are references to it resulting in danger of—

(a) injury to any person, or

(b) serious damage to property.

28B Causing death by careless, or inconsiderate, cycling

A person who causes the death of another person by riding a cycle on a road or other public place without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road or place, is guilty of an offence.

28C Causing serious injury by careless, or inconsiderate, cycling

(1) A person who causes serious injury to another person by riding a cycle on a road or other public place without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road or place, is guilty of an offence.

(2) In this section “serious injury” means—

(a) in England and Wales, physical harm which amounts to grievous bodily harm for the purposes of the Offences against the Person Act 1861, and

(b) in Scotland, severe physical injury.”

(5) In section 29 (careless, and inconsiderate, cycling)—

(a) after “a road” insert “or other public place”;

(b) after “the road” insert “or place”.

(6) After section 29 insert—

“29A Meaning of careless, or inconsiderate, cycling

(1) This section applies for the purposes of sections 28B, 28C and 29.

(2) A person is to be regarded as cycling without due care and attention if (and only if) the way the person cycles falls below what would be expected of a competent and careful cyclist.

(3) In determining what would be expected of a competent and careful cyclist in a particular case, regard is to be had both to—

(a) the circumstances of which the person could be expected to be aware (taking account of, if relevant to the case, the age of the accused), and

(b) the circumstances shown to have been within the knowledge of the accused.

(4) A person (A) is to be regarded as cycling without reasonable consideration for other persons only if those persons are inconvenienced by A’s cycling.”

(7) The Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 is amended as set out in subsections (8) to (12).

(8) In section 23 (alternative verdicts in Scotland)—

(a) in subsection (1), after “vehicle” insert “, or the riding of a cycle,”;

(b) in subsection (1A) omit “and” after paragraph (b) and after paragraph (c) insert—

“(d) an offence under section 27A of that Act (causing death by dangerous cycling), and

(e) an offence under section 27B of that Act (causing serious injury by dangerous cycling).”

(9) In section 24 (alternative verdicts: general)—

(a) in subsection (A1)(a) after “vehicle” insert “, or the riding of a cycle,”;

(b) in subsection (A2) omit “and” after paragraph (c) and after that paragraph insert—

“(ca) an offence under section 27A of that Act (causing death by dangerous cycling),

(cb) an offence under section 27B of that Act (causing serious injury by dangerous cycling), and”;

(c) in subsection (1), in the Table, after the entry relating to section 5A(1)(a) and (2) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 insert—

“Section 27A (causing death by dangerous cycling)	Section 28 (dangerous cycling)
	Section 28B (causing death by careless, or inconsiderate, cycling)
	Section 29 (careless, and inconsiderate, cycling)
Section 27B (causing serious injury by dangerous cycling)	Section 28 (dangerous cycling)
	Section 28C (causing serious injury by careless, or inconsiderate, cycling)
	Section 29 (careless, and inconsiderate, cycling)”;

(d) in subsection (1), in the Table, after the entry relating to section 28 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 insert—

“Section 28B (causing death by careless, or inconsiderate, cycling)	Section 29 (careless, and inconsiderate, cycling)
Section 28C (causing serious injury by careless, or inconsiderate, cycling)	Section 29 (careless, and inconsiderate, cycling)”.

(10) The table in Part 1 of Schedule 2 (prosecution and punishment of offences) is amended as follows.

(11) After the entry relating to “RTA section 27” insert in columns 1 to 4—

“RTA section 27A	Causing death by dangerous cycling.	On indictment.	Imprisonment for life.
RTA section 27B	Causing serious injury by dangerous cycling.	(a) Summarily. (b) On indictment.	(a) On conviction in England and Wales: the general limit in a magistrates’ court or a fine or both. On conviction in Scotland: 12 months or the statutory maximum or both. (b) 5 years or a fine or both.”

(12) After the entry relating to “RTA section 28” insert in columns 1 to 4—

“RTA section 28B	Causing death by careless or inconsiderate cycling.	(a) Summarily. (b) On indictment.	(a) On conviction in England and Wales: the general limit in a magistrates’ court or a fine or both. On conviction in Scotland: 12 months or the statutory maximum or both. (b) 5 years or a fine or both.
RTA section 28C	Causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate cycling	(a) Summarily. (b) On indictment.	(a) On conviction in England and Wales: the general limit in a magistrates’ court or a fine or both. On conviction in Scotland: 12 months or the statutory maximum or both. (b) 2 years or a fine or both.”

(13) The following provisions are amended as follows—

(a) in Schedule 15 to the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (specified offences for purposes of sections 244ZA and 325), in Part 1 (specified violent offences), after paragraph 49 insert—

“49A An offence under section 27A of that Act (causing death by dangerous cycling).”;

(b) in Schedule 18B to the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (offences relevant to public protection decisions), in Part 2 (statutory offences), in paragraph 34 after paragraph (c) insert—

“(d) section 27A (causing death by dangerous cycling).”;

(c) in Schedule 18 to the Sentencing Code (specified offences for purposes of section 306), in Part 1 (specified violent offences), in paragraph 18 after paragraph (c) insert—

“(d) section 27A (causing death by dangerous cycling).”

Commencement Information

I1 S. 141 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 255(1)