Cycling UK launches Road Justice campaign

The launch of the campaign, which is supported by Slater & Gordon Lawyers, comes just days after the success of Cycling UK’s campaign for an appeal of the ‘unduly lenient’ sentence given to Edinburgh driver Gary McCourt, who killed two cyclists.

Cycling UK has seen the strength of feeling for justice on the roads - the campaign to call for a review of McCourt’s sentence was supported by over 6000 people who wrote to the Lord Advocate in the space of just three weeks. 

Reports of bad driving and injustice

Since 2009, Cycling UK has collected over 4000 reports of bad driving through its online reporting system and has spoken directly to victims who were injured by bad driving but whose cases were not dealt with properly by the legal system.

The Road Justice website includes videos with some of these victims, telling their personal stories about how the justice system failed them, compounding the suffering from their original injuries. 

One of the videos is that of Sarah-Charlotte Peace. She was hit by a car driver on a roundabout in August 2012 and suffered serious leg injuries in the crash. Her career plans have been put on hold as a result and she now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Sarah-Charlotte didn’t receive any support from the police and never heard from the officer who attended the crash scene.

In court, the driver admitted that she had not looked properly before entering the roundabout, yet was only found guilty of careless driving. The driver received a paltry £110 fine and 9 penalty points and was able to drive again the same day. 

It isn’t acceptable to feel at risk every time you get on your bike. It is time for all drivers to be held responsible for their actions." 

Cycling UK President Jon Snow
A daily cycle commuter in London

Road Justice campaign demands

Cycling UK is campaigning for: high quality and thorough police investigations of all road traffic collisions; better charging and prosecution decisions made by the police and the prosecution services; and sentences that reflect the severity of the offence and discourage bad driving, including greater use of substantial driving bans.

Cycling UK has compiled case studies and legal arguments to present to representatives of the police across the UK highlighting the need for better quality road collision investigations and appropriate charging practices. 

Over the next six months Cycling UK will also send evidence to the prosecution services and the courts demonstrating the need for more appropriate charging and prosecution decisions and greater use of tougher sentences, with an emphasis on extended driving bans.

Cycling UK will work with victims and their families to put forward strong arguments to law enforcers of the need to take bad driving seriously and work to bring about safer cycling and safer road conditions for all road users.

Go to the Road Justice website to find out how you can support the campaign.